Today’s events highlighted how the “Progress ecosystem” operates for impact
On Feb. 2, Healthsperien was joined by national leaders announcing the launch of Action for Progress, a bipartisan coalition focused on addressing the nation’s mental health and substance use crisis. This marks an exciting extension and real-world integration of Alignment for Progress, first launched by The Kennedy Forum.
The Kennedy Forum is working toward reaching the 90-90-90 goals by 2033 to deliver measurable results for more Americans, and will play a critical role as a founding member of the Action for Progress Leadership Council.
Caption: Patrick makes remarks during the launch announcement of Action for Progress.
The announcement convened senior federal officials and policy leaders, including U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, and FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, among others. It underscores the urgency and significance of this moment.
Both of The Kennedy Forum co-founders, Amy L. Kennedy and Patrick J. Kennedy, participated in the events, with Patrick providing introductory remarks to set the background for the day’s talks:
“Amy and I co-founded The Kennedy Forum shortly after I left Congress, and the main goal was to really push for the full force of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, and to end the double standard of our health care system that treated the body but neglected the mind,” he said.
TKF Co-Founder and Board Chair Amy L. Kennedy also moderated a panel featuring a stellar list of high-level mental health and substance use leaders. The conversations highlighted evidence-based and innovative approaches that bridge the public and private sectors — connecting quality and access to care for children across schools, healthcare settings, and communities.
Caption: Amy Kennedy is joined by (alphabetically listed) Malekeh Amini, Founder and CEO, Trayt Health; Sharon Hoover, PhD, Professor, School of Medicine, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Marti Taylor, CEO, OhioRise and VP at Aetna; and Dana Weiner, PhD, Chief Officer for Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation, Illinois Office of the Governor.
What This Means for Advocacy
The launch of Action for Progress builds on The Kennedy Forum’s work, including goals created via Alignment for Progress to reach 90-90-90 by 2033, serving as an implementational and operational arm for strategies developed with close allies and partners.
These two initiatives serve to advance the most urgent priorities for mental health advocates, with discrete organizations leading key policy and programmatic change within their purviews.
The Kennedy Forum’s 2026 priorities include:
- Meaningful movement to influence the new federal parity rule, while providing resources and tools to advance state parity
- Showing real-time data on network coverage and reimbursement in all 50 states
- Identifying the greatest risks to youth utilizing LLMs
- Creating meaningful action on early intervention to save millions
- Showing companies how to minimize the “brain capital tax”
- Advising states on actionable plans for greater mental health care for millions
The Kennedy Forum continues to advance forward momentum on signature issues like youth mental health, prevention, quality care and mental health parity — even within a complex legislative environment.
“Our work continues — creating the framework and infrastructure that makes change fast, possible, and powerful,” Rebecca said. “This movement is about persistence and problem-solving, with each facet playing a part. The Kennedy Forum’s role has always been to convene and advance core ideas to improve mental health and substance use care in the U.S.”
Caption: The Kennedy Forum President & CEO Rebecca O. Bagley is pictured with Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
As Action for Progress continues to take shape, The Kennedy Forum will share updates as the coalition advances efforts to strengthen mental health and substance use systems nationwide.
Organizations and leaders interested in joining convenings related to Alignment for Progress and The Kennedy Forum are encouraged to reach out to info@thekennedyforum.org.
For questions regarding Action for Progress, please visit Action4Progress.org.
