In her latest op-ed for NJ.com, Amy Kennedy explains why Congress mustact now to protect kids from TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and other social media giants. “The double whammy of addiction potential and exposure to dangerous content can threaten even the most secure parent/child attachments…I’m hopeful that one day, we’ll find a way to strike a healthy balance … Continued
Updates & Resources from Our Policy Team The Kennedy Forum joined 49 other organizations in supporting the Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act of 2022 sponsored by Reps. Katie Porter (D-CA) and Tony Cardenas (D-CA) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). The legislation would require most health plans to submit the parity compliance analyses they must perform … Continued
HBO’s “Last Week Tonight” Tackles Mental Health Care and Parity Last night, comedian John Oliver, host of “Last Week Tonight,” addressed “cracks in our broken mental health care system” in a segment informed by Patrick J. Kennedy and senior policy advisor David Lloyd (producers reached out to The Kennedy Forum in early June). The piece … Continued
Amy Kennedy Advises Governor Phil Murphy as He Launches His National Governor Association Chair’s Initiative Focused on Youth Mental Health The Kennedy Forum, under Amy’s leadership, recently advised New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on his new Initiative as Incoming Chair of the National Governor’s Association (NGA): “Strengthening Youth Mental Health.” The four pillars of the Initiative—Prevention and Resilience Building, … Continued
By Patrick J. Kennedy In Olmstead v. L.C. (June 1999), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that unnecessary segregation of people with disabilities, including those with Serious Mental Illness (SMI), violates the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), which protects an individual’s right to live, work, socialize, be educated, experience cultural enrichment, and enjoy family life in … Continued
The Kennedy Forum, under Amy’s leadership, recently advised New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on his new Initiative as Incoming Chair of the National Governors Association (NGA): “Strengthening Youth Mental Health.” The four pillars of the Initiative—Prevention and Resilience Building, Increasing Awareness and Reducing Stigma, Access and Affordability of Quality Treatment and Care, and Caregiver and Education Training and Support—align … Continued
The Promise of 988 Is Real. Can States Like California Set the Bar? Tomorrow, the new 988 crisis line for mental health and substance use emergencies goes live across the country. Approximately one year ago, The Kennedy Forum shared an analysis of state legislative action needed to support 988 by the national go-live date. At the time, … Continued
Tomorrow, the new 988 crisis line for mental health and substance use emergencies goes live across the country. Approximately one year ago, The Kennedy Forum shared an analysis of state legislative action needed to support 988 by the national go-live date. At the time, only Colorado, Nevada, and Washington had passed adequate legislation to facilitate … Continued
Great news! We are happy to report that thanks to extensive advocacy work from groups including The Kennedy Forum, on June 22, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee passed the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act (H.R. 7666)! This critical legislation would ensure state and local public employees have equal coverage for mental health and addiction … Continued
By Lauren Finke, policy advisor at The Kennedy Forum In the days since the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, media, policymakers, advocates, and public figures have focused in on the complex issue of preventing another tragedy. Understandably so. People are fed up. They are tired and exhausted from the seemingly constant headlines marking yet another … Continued
Sign up for email updates from The Kennedy Forum.
