On March 12, 2024, APA Senior Director for Congressional and Federal Relations & Education Policy Lead Kenneth Polishchuk represented APA at an invite-only convening on youth mental health and substance use hosted by The Kennedy Forum. This event joined leaders and stakeholders from across the mental health community to advance The Alignment for Progress initiativeopens in new window, of which APA is a partner organization.
Launched in October 2023, this initiative aims to challenge the nation to pursue a “90-90-90” agenda by 2033: for 90% of all individuals to be screened for mental health and substance use disorders, 90% of those who require services will be able to receive evidence-based treatment, and 90% of those receiving treatment will be able to manage their symptoms in recovery. APA committed to advancing a population behavioral health framework over the next 3 years, through building partnerships, educating members, engaging in advocacy, and working with key stakeholders to facilitate implementation of the framework.
Much of the discussion focused on barriers to mental health and substance use care for youth, and on policy solutions that all member organizations can collectively pursue. Areas of specific focus included many of APA’s own priorities, such as advancing prevention and early intervention efforts; addressing the mental health impacts of social media usage among youth; growing and diversifying the mental health care workforce; increasing federal funding for research and mental health services, including in schools; prompting social connectedness; training educators and families on recognizing signs of mental health and substance use concerns among children and adolescents; and uplifting the voices of youth with lived experiences.
In the coming months, The Kennedy Forum will synthesize the outcomes into a policy brief.
For more information, contact Kenneth Polishchuk.
