Health care is a basic human right.

1. “Shaping the Future Agenda for Behavioral Health Policy”What are the possible or probable futures emerging from various themes? • Health care is a basic human right. • Substance use and mental health will be the leading public health priority, including alcohol, suicide, tobacco. • Children and adults will regularly receive a "check up from the neck up." • By 2020, substance use and mental health disorders will be understood and accepted as health conditions that affect the majority of Americans. • By 2020, everyone in this country will have full coverage and access to heath care.

2. “Shaping the Future Agenda for Behavioral Health Policy”What compelling role and/or contribution does behavioral health play/bring? • Behavioral health is key to health and wellbeing, including workplace productivity, strong families, reducing morbibity and mortality. • We bring a better understanding of whole health. • We bring prevention policies and practices that can improve the trajectory of one's health and wellbeing. • We bring expanding workforce opportunities, leading to increased access and availability.

3. “Shaping the Future Agenda for Behavioral Health Policy”What are the challenges and opportunities for us as this future unfolds? • Opportunity and challenge: implementation and enforcement of the ACA and parity • Challenge: getting the funding needed to develop and launch meaningful large scale public health campaign regarding how substance use and mental health is viewed. this is a opportunity to put behavioral health on a equal playing field with other public health concerns. • Opportunity: prevention and early intervention policies and practices, which will lead to earlier identification, intervention and treatment for individuals.

4. “Shaping the Future Agenda for Behavioral Health Policy”Where are we seeing this future emerging? Programs, resources, examples. • Advocacy for a health and wellness strategy in schools and communities, where mental health and substance use is a critical piece, including: mental health first aid for teachers, self care strategies taught as a prevention approach in schools, and training for emotional resilience in childhood. • A "Let's Move" (Michelle Obama's campaign) public awareness campaign for mental health and substance use. • Changing the national dialogue to include the conversations we've started at ACMHA. • Workforce development efforts, including telehealth, including behavioral health in training programs for health professionals.

5. “Shaping the Future Agenda for Behavioral Health Policy”What does this mean for leading for the future? • Behavioral health leaders need to talk in a broader context of health while ensuring behavioral health is appropriately represented ("there's no health without behavioral health"). • We need to use technology. • We need to talk with people and professions we normally don't include in our conversations, decisions, and program/policy design. • We need to change our language. • We need to be commited to prevention and providing quality care.

6. Policy Recommendations • public health educational and media campaign- thinking outside the box with message development to address stigma, discrimination, prevention, and wellness • shift dollars towards education at all levels: schools, workplaces, etc. • macro policy has to support local policy • incentives and or requirements for screening • training health professionals to screen • work with large employers and group practices. large employers drive the market. • general approaches to help the public understand their own health needs. • services are paid at a fair market value. • research based, adaptable standards of care that are equal across all payers. • quality outcome measures that are reimburseble • parity for all- VA, Medicare, employer plans, offenders, etc. • fund and require health professional training programs to include MH and SU • Department of Labor- fund peers • push for national workforce standards across professions • telehealth expansion • broaden provider definitions • provide services in schools