Supervisor Barger Will Co-Chair New Commission Addressing Nation’s Mental Health Crisis

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger has been named co-chair of a new commission aimed at addressing the nation’s mental health crisis.

The commission, which was launched by the National Association of Counties (NACo) on Monday, will include 14 county leaders from across the country. The goal of the commission is to develop policy and programmatic recommendations at the federal level to tackle the systemic issues contributing to the mental health crisis affecting communities and individuals of all ages nationwide.

In a statement, Barger expressed her commitment to tackling the mental health crisis and her appreciation for NACo’s partnership and leadership in this effort.

“To effect lasting change in our behavioral health system, we need legislative fixes at the federal level,” Barger said. “Lifting the federal limit on the number of beds we can have in our mental health treatment facilities and securing additional behavioral health resources has been one of my top priorities since taking office. If we want to mitigate homelessness, keep our communities safe and develop our youth to their fullest potential, we must tackle barriers to mental health support.”

Counties play a vital role in local health, justice, and human services systems, making them well-positioned to lead action on the mental health crisis. The commission will strive to stimulate a national sense of urgency, elevate national awareness around the challenges and innovations associated with mental health, pursue federal policy action, and lead a cohesive intergovernmental strategy to enhance the mental health and well-being of all Americans.

By advancing county policy priorities around mental health, showcasing effective community strategies, and elevating county voices, the commission hopes to:

• Stimulate a national sense of urgency through an intergovernmental partnership framework connecting the local, state, and federal levels;

• Elevate national awareness around the challenges and the innovations associated with mental health through the county lens;

• Pursue federal policy action, including full implementation of the Mental Health Parity standard, reforms to the IMD prohibition, repealing the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy for pre-trial detainees, and building the mental health workforce and continuum of care for the future; and

• Lead a cohesive, intergovernmental strategy to enhance the mental health and well-being of all Americans, with a special focus on the most vulnerable populations.