The Kennedy Forum envisions a future where mental health and addiction are treated as essential health issues — with 90% of Americans screened, 90% receiving treatment, and 90% achieving recovery. To reach 90-90-90, The Kennedy Forum engineers structural change, aligning stakeholders around consequential reform. Co-founded by former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, who co-authored the bipartisan Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, and his wife, Amy L. Kennedy, the nonprofit plays a distinct role as a catalyst.
Core Priorities in 2026
- Shaping federal budgeting rules to transform youth mental health funding
- Translating our 90-90-90 national agenda into a practical blueprint for action
- Expanding sustainable financing and value-based payment models for quality care that addresses early psychosis, bipolar disorder, and other complex behavioral health conditions while reducing long-term disability and costs
- Defining impactful policy levers for Americans across the lifespan
- Expanding Mental Health Parity Index use cases and offering new ways to interact with the tool for consumers, payers, clinicians, and more
- Addressing the current youth mental health crisis and emerging addiction risks
- Convening leaders to create field consensus on transformational priorities
- Realizing the vision of parity through collaboration at the federal and state levels
The Alignment for Progress
Goals for the Alignment for Progress Movement: 90/90/90 by 2033
As part of the Alignment for Progress, we have articulated goals for 2023: 90% of individuals will be screened for mental health conditions or substance use disorders; 90% will receive the evidence-based services and supports they need, and 90% of those treated will be able to manage their symptoms and achieve recovery.
Read More About These Goals
Collaborating for Systemic Change
The Kennedy Forum's Alignment for Progress unites stakeholders to accelerate progress in the systems of mental health and substance use disorder care to ensure a more inclusive and effective system. We are calling, urgently, for stakeholders from across the mental health and substance use landscape to join us.
Explore the Alignment for Progress
Comprehensive Policies for Change
The Kennedy Forum has created the National Strategy for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders as part of The Alignment for Progress to tackle systemic barriers in U.S. mental health and substance use care. This strategy provides a blueprint for achieving mental health equity and systemic change, featuring over 200 policy recommendations to overhaul the existing care framework.
Learn more about the National Strategy
