December Updates | The Kennedy Forum

December Updates
December 19, 2023

The Kennedy Forum team takes in the holiday lights during our working retreat in Philadelphia.

The Kennedy Forum sends our warmest wishes to you and yours this holiday season. The successes we reached this year were made possible in large part thanks to the generous support of our Alignment for Progress Conference sponsors, our partners at the CEO Alliance, and the 80 organizations who have made commitments to the Alignment for Progress Movement thus far. As we close out 2023, we thank you for your generous support. 

Looking back we accomplished some great things this year….

  • We submitted comments to the Biden Administration’s new proposed rules to the Federal Parity Act. When finalized, these rules will help more families access the care they need. 
  • We advised the National Governors Association on their Youth Mental Health Playbook so states across the country can give their young people the best chance to thrive. 
  • We hosted our Alignment for Progress Conference and launched the Alignment for Progress Movement to achieve 90/90/90 by 2033: 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.  
  • Our School-Based Industry Council made great strides this year hosting four meetings, speaking at the Alignment for Progress Conference, and engaging experts across the field to drive youth mental health solutions. 
  • Industry leaders joined us at the Kennedy Compound on Cape Cod for our convenings on electronic health records, standards of care, and how to best work with payers’ Chief Medical Officers. These convenings delivered insights and connections that continue to drive our Movement. 
  • In partnership with McKinsey Health Institute and KPMG we developed two groundbreaking tools to help drive the Alignment for Progress Movement. With the former we developed a systems level mapping tool and with the latter we developed a set of zip-code level data mapping mental health and addiction services throughout the country.  

In the year ahead we look forward to growing the Alignment for Progress Movement and creating the roadmap to 90/90/90. That means doubling the number of commitment makers; convening on workforce, school-based services, and data; working with mayors and the Biden Administration to drive adoption of new Parity rules when announced; and so much more. We look forward to the work ahead, but in the meantime, we hope you take time to rest, rejuvenate, and ring in the New Year!