On March 1, 2022, the Biden Administration announced the President’s national mental health strategy which he would unveil during the State of the Union address that evening.

The plan aims to:

“Strengthen system capacity,
Connect more Americans to care, and
Create a continuum of support.”

These three focus areas directly align with 2020 Mom’s strategic priorities to increase:

Availability of Providers and Treatments
Ample Insurance Coverage and Provider Payments
Adequate Screening to Identify Those with Mental Health Disorders

Here are more details from the President’s plan that directly support maternal mental health:

Build System Capacity:

Recruit individuals to work in the mental health field
Train a diverse group of paraprofessionals, like certified peer support specialists
Create a framework for simplified certification/reimbursement for peer support specialists
Increase Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers (CCBHCs)
Invest in research on promising models for treating mental health conditions

Expand Access to Care

Require insurers to pay mental health providers at rates that attract them to join insurance networks through federal mental health parity laws
Integrate mental health and substance use screening and treatment into primary care settings
Expand access to telehealth and virtual mental health care options
Embed and co-locate mental health and substance use providers into community-based settings
Increase mental health care navigation resources

Inform and Empower Human Services Professionals

Training social and human services professionals in basic mental health skills and support

Executive Director, Joy Burkhard issued the following statement in support of the President’s comprehensive plan:

“2020 Mom applauds the White House for recognizing how critical this moment is in addressing mental health in America’s children and adults. The Biden Administration's plan has addressed key barriers to ensuring our country has access to affordable and effective mental health care.

We are particularly interested in the administration’s efforts to advance:

(1) virtual mental health, including primary care provider-to-psychiatric/psychological consultation to increase PCP/obstetrician capacity to screen and identify patients who are suffering and develop treatment plans;

(2) mental health insurance coverage at parity, including ready in-network access to providers; and

(3) the use of certified peer support specialists.

These strategies will improve access to mental health care for all Americans, including the 1 in 5 mothers who suffer from maternal mental health disorders, for which care has been elusive for far too long.

The U.S. needs this plan implemented with urgency, our mental health cannot wait. With the COVID crisis and now the Russian-Ukrainian war, distress levels are incredibly high and mental health fragile. Now is the time to take action, and implement this strong plan to address mental health in America.”