Mental Health Policy Initiatives

about the Active Minds Policy Platform

The purpose of a policy platform is to identify the core issues and policies that Active Minds values as an organization. It creates a funnel through which Active Minds determines what advocacy actions to take and legislation to activate or speak out around.

As guiding principles, Active Minds supports policies and government actions that:

1. Normalize mental health so that it is equally talked about, cared for, and valued as physical health
2. Provide directed mental health support to populations most in need (i.e. underserved
   populations and those with limited access to relevant and resonant resources)

We also prefer legislation that prioritizes action over rhetoric, i.e. legislation that goes beyond calling for improvement and proposes tangible steps toward a better mental health culture.

While these issues represent a broad focus for Active Minds, our level of engagement on different issues will vary. Active Minds also has within this list a prioritized annual set of specific legislative priorities that will be the primary focus of Active Minds’ advocacy work.

policy focus areas

NORMALIZE MENTAL HEALTH

Active Minds supports policies that normalize mental health so that it is equally talked about, educated on, cared for, and valued as physical health. Active Minds advocates for the continued cultural shift toward equitable and accessible mental health support. These policy areas include:

• Access to care (i.e. telehealth access)
• Education and training, including culturally specific resources (especially peer-to-peer education and training)
• Mental health parity/insurance coverage
• Mental health workforce development and retention with an emphasis on diversity and equity
• Promotion/de-stigmatization (i.e encouraging help-seeking)
• Research and evaluation
• Youth empowerment

DIRECT SUPPORT TO POPULATIONS MOST IN NEED

Active Minds supports policies that address the mental health needs of various populations (i.e. underserved populations and those with limited access to relevant and resonant resources), especially those suffering from disproportionately higher rates of poor mental health and suicide through evidence-based/informed practices. Examples of populations in which Active Minds supports directed policies include, but not limited to:

• K-12 and college/university students
• Children, youth, and young adults
• Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) populations
• Persons with disabilities
• Teachers, administrators, parents/guardians, coaches, and other key adult stakeholders
• Employees and employers

Normalize Mental Health

DIRECT SUPPORT TO POPULATIONS MOST IN NEED

ADDRESS UNDERLYING FACTORS

OTHER

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