Pledging to Advance Behavioral Health

On July 29, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., met with dozens of health care leaders, medical societies, providers, and behavioral health experts for an event at a HHS headquarters in Washington, where they collectively committed to advancing best practices that support National Behavioral Health Quality and Best Practices. Following a series of panel discussions, attendees signed a pledge to strengthen the nation’s behavioral health system.

The Pledge

The National Behavioral Health Quality and Best Practices Voluntary Pledge advances evidence-based, high-quality, patient-centered care for individuals experiencing mental health conditions and the chronic disease of addiction.

Sign the Pledge

The Great American Recovery

The Great American Recovery is an Administration initiative to improve the nation's behavioral health through prevention, treatment, recovery, and community partnerships.

Learn More

Event Details

Agenda

Welcome

• Carisa Schweitzer Masek, PharmD, MBA, MPH, Counselor to the Secretary, U.S. Department of Health And Human Services

Introduction and Moderation

• Tim Westlake, M.D., FACEP
  Chief of Staff, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Opening Remarks

• Kathryn Burgum
  Co-Chair, Great American Recovery

Fireside Chat: The Case for National Standards

• Moderated by: Dr. Clive Fields
  Chair, HHS/CMS Healthcare Advisory Committee
• Mehmet Oz, M.D.
  Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
  Services
• Patrick Conway, M.D.
  Chief Executive Officer, Optum

Panel Discussions

• Moderated by: Tim Westlake, M.D., FACEP
  Chief of Staff, Substance Abuse and Mental Health
  Services Administration

Panel 1: Health Plans

• Taft Parsons, M.D.
  Chief Psychiatric Officer
  Aetna, a CVS Health Company
• Caroline Carney, M.D.
  Chief Executive Officer, Magellan Behavioral Health
• Shantanu Agrawal, M.D.
  Chief Health Officer, Elevance Health
• Katherine Suberlak
  Vice President, Behavioral Health Transformation, Humana

Panel 2: National Stakeholder Associations

• Chuck Ingoglia
  President and Chief Executive Officer, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
• Rob Morrison
  Executive Director, National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Agency Directors
• Brian Hepburn
  Executive Director, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors
• Debbie Witchey
  President and Chief Executive Officer, Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness
• Kyu Rhee, M.D.
  President and Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Community Health Centers

Panel 3: Professional Medical Associations

• Bobby Mukkamala, M.D.
  Immediate Past President, American Medical Association
• Robert G.G. Piccinni, D.O.
  Immediate Past President, American Osteopathic Association
• Mark Hyman Rapaport, M.D.
  President, American Psychiatric Association
• Stephen Taylor, M.D.
  President, American Society of Addiction Medicine
• Arthur Evans, Ph.D.
  Chief Executive Officer, American Psychological Association

Remarks by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Pledge Signing and Closing Program

pledge speaker photo

Signatories header

Signatories

(In alphabetical order)

signatories, part 1

Golee Abrishami
Octave Behavioral Health

Shantanu Agrawal, M.D.
Elevance Health

Stuart Archer
Oceans Healthcare

Brian Arwood
Near the Woods

Rebecca Bagley
The Kennedy Forum

Donna Baker-Miller
MCG Health

Josie Barker
Breaking the Cycle

Jeff Beck
AnswersNow

Yael Berman
Big Health

Jessica Best
Recovery Outcomes Institute, Inc.

Andrew B. Bindman, M.D.
Kaiser Permanente

Eric Birkhmer
The Ohio Recovery Center

Jaime Bland
Aquila Health

Emily Blomberg
HealthPartners

Tyson Brewer
I am Recovery & Counseling

Jeff Breedlove
American Addiction Recovery Association

Dr. Mill Brown
Spring Health

Joy Bukhard, MBA
Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health

Frazer Buntin
Wayspring Health

Alisa B. Busch, M.D., M.S.
Mass General Brigham

Jamie Campos
Horizon Treatment Services

Caroline Carney, M.D.
Magellan Health

Hannah Cho
The Joint Commission

Jennifer Christian-Herman, Ph.D.
Headway

Kye Chumley
Bay Area Addiction Research and Treatment Programs

Jim Clarkson
Transformativa Health

Patrick Conway, M.D.
Optum

Luis Corchado
Educational Alliance

Andrew DiGiacomo
Birches Health

Damayanti Dipayana
Manatee

Michelle Dirst
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry

Shailja Dixit
Curio

Lauren Driscoll
NourishedRx

Jaclyn Dugan
Main Line Health

Jennifer Durward
Laverdure Psychiatry

Casey Earp
Psych Hub

Daniel Elenbaas
Virtual Therapeutics

Marni Elson-Victor
Georgian Court University

Laura Erganian
Paradigm Recovery Centers

Matthew Eurey
Carrum Health

Arthur Evans, Ph.D.
American Psychological Association

Barbara Fonte
Jackson Health System, the Public Health Trust of Miami Dade County

Karen Lynn Fortuna
Patient Innovation Lab at Dartmouth

Bob Gebbia
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Melanie Gibson
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

Ellie Gordon
Behavior, Inc.

Thomas R. Graf, M.D.
GuideWell

Cynthia Grant
Birches Health

Ann Greiner
The Primary Care Collaborative

Shawn Griffin, M.D.
URAC

Julie Goldstein Grumet, Ph.D.
Zero Suicide Institute

Tina Hacker
Phoenix Bloom Therapy

Rebecca Messing Haigler
HealthSperien

Patrick Hall
Valley Hope

Candace Harris
Eleanor Health

Neil Hattangadi
Cortica

Brian Hepburn
National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors

Tate Heuer
American Academy of Physician Associates

Teresa Higham
New Beginning Recovery Center

Carole Ho
Eli Lilly

Michael Hogue
American Pharmacists Association

Ashleigh Holand
National Association of Counties

signatories part 2

Steven D Hollon
Vanderbilt University

Eric Hulsey
Institute for Research, Education and Training in Addiction

Chuck Ingoglia
National Council for Mental Wellbeing

Neil Brereton Jackson
N Brereton Medical Technologies

Allysia Jenkins
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota

Tom Johnson
Lakeview Behavioral Health

Anna Jones
Community Bridges, Inc.

Kevin Jones
Trac9 Informatics

Rebecca Kase
Trauma Therapist Institute

Peter Kelpin
Hazel Health

Patrick Kennedy
The Kennedy Forum

Barbara Krantz, D.O.
Caron Florida

Raeva Kumar
Rebound Health

Richard Lungen
Psych Hub

Andrew MacPherson
Foundation for Social Connection Action Network

Patty McCarthy
Face & Voices of Recovery

Neal McGarry
Florida Certification Board

Jay Meyers
Rula

Douglas Mirsky
EmPATH Consulting

Joshua Moore, Pharm.D.
MO HealthNet

Pamela Morrison
Mercy Center of AZ

Rob Morrison
National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Agency Directors

Bobby Mukkamala, M.D.
American Medical Association

Cristina Nigro, Ph.D.
Baszucki Group and the Coalition for Metabolic Health

Lori-Ann Novello
Lindenhurst Community Cares Coalition

Tara Olheiser
Dacotah Foundation

Steven Parrott
All Roads Recovery Group

Taft Parsons, M.D.
Aetna, a CVS Health Company

Claudio Perez
Agape Network

Heather Petrus
Southside Behavioral Health

Robert G.G. Piccinni, D.O.
American Osteopathic Association

Emily J. Piper
Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

Nestor Plana
ISL Health

Kaitlyn Poad
GRC Advanced Recovery Network

Wendy Oliver Pyatt, M.D.
Within Health

Richard (Dick) Quinlan
Jeremiah’s Inn

Elliott Rapaport
Birches Health

Mark Hyman Rapaport, M.D.
American Psychiatric Association

Pam Reiman
Bridging the Gaps, Inc.

Brad Rex
eHome Counseling

Kyu Rhee, M.D., M.P.P.
National Association of Community Health Centers

Julie Rochester, CEAP, SAP
Employee Assistance Professionals Association

Elias Romero
Krossroads

Dylan Ross
Psych Hub

Chris Santarsiero
Connections Health Solutions

Joe Sapp, CAE
American Mental Health Counselors Association

Sheetal Shah
SimplePractice

Roger Smith
AAMFT

Tyler Staley
Complete Recovery Solutions, Inc.

Katherine Suberlak
Humana

Jessica L. Swan
Recovery Consulting

Stephen Taylor, M.D.
American Society of Addiction Medicine

Laci Thornton
Grasshopper Group

Sarah Tilton
Brave Health

Guila Todd
American Counseling Association

David Vandervelde
Awakening Recovery, Inc.

Marvin Ventrell
National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP)

Terrence D. Walton
NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals

Sherry White
High Point Advocacy and Resource Center, Inc.

Jennifer Whyte
Serenity Bay Health

Debbie Witchey
Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness

Michele Worobiec
Silta Strategy, LLC

Elizabeth Zetterquist
Abundance Foundation

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