The Kennedy Forum

The Kennedy Forum and its partners are proud to engage in the dynamic conversations at the Lake Nona Impact Forum, including a panel tomorrow: "Hope Ahead: A Vision for Positive Mental Health Transformation." It will include TKF Co-Founders Amy Kennedy and Patrick J. Kennedy and KPMG Chair & CEO Paul Knopp, and will be moderated by Juju Chang, Emmy? Award-Winning Co-Anchor of ABC News' Nightline. If you're at the event, we hope to see you as we discuss a path forward for positive change!

Our Senior Director of Policy Lauren Finke and the Steinberg Institute Senior Advocate John Drebinger III, both sponsors of California's model parity bill, SB 855, were invited to testify today about the progress and challenges in parity implementation. As Lauren put it: ��A health plan��s practices, while compliant on paper, may not always translate on the ground, resulting in illegal denials for medically necessary mental health care.�� For instance, in the State of California, The Department of Managed Health Care's latest published statistics show that around 80% of appealed behavioral health denials are in favor of the patient. Too often, consumers are on the line for correcting plan-level compliance, when there are systemic mechanisms that could correct imbalances. Lauren and John offered specific recommendations like enforcement timelines and public reporting structures that can be implemented to ease DMHC��s administrative burden, provide needed clarity to plans, and better support consumers. Delayed, fail-first mental health care hurts people seeking care now and is absorbed by our communities in the long run. Parity implementation is the best, most efficient path toward better well-being for all. See the full hearing here: https://lnkd.in/gbWA-2Vz

In a personal and powerful episode of the Chief Influencer podcast, TKF Co-Founder Patrick J. Kennedy discusses how mental health is a shared issue that can motivate us to find solutions together. ��Finding those commonalities, finding those common struggles, whatever they may be, is really the way that you build bridges �� If you think about what we need today to solve our mental health and addiction challenges, we need community.�� Real progress in mental health requires integrating every support system we have. ?? Listen to his thoughts on how we can use them: https://bit.ly/3EpI8LX

While many employers acknowledge that mental health is essential health, some are not walking the talk. A new suit filed by ERIC, an industry group representing large employers, seeks to peel back progress for mental health parity, which ensures conditions of the mind are covered like surgical/medical conditions, among other protections. The CEO Alliance for Mental Health issued a statement about why this suit is concerning for employees and their loved ones, and announced a call for employers to step up and speak out on their commitment to mental health care. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3WSaCnJ American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, Mental Health America, NAMI, National Association for Behavioral Healthcare, National Association of Social Workers, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, One Mind, Peg's Foundation, Steinberg Institute, TAC - Treatment Advocacy Center

?? ? EVENT REMINDER: Please join The Kennedy Forum and KPMG for a webinar on Feb. 13 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET that delves into advanced data insights on screening, treatment, and recovery for mental health/substance use care and the policy implications behind the numbers. If you are an advocate, leader, or supporter of mental health, this webinar is for you. Register today: https://lnkd.in/gWyFbqhA

Last week, our President & CEO Rebecca O. Bagley sat on a panel dedicated to how we can best support young people right now, with discussion moderated by Dr. Chelsea Clinton and including leaders like Mike Marriner of Roadtrip Nation and Patti Miller of Too Small to Fail, an initiative of the Clinton Foundation. ? One major takeaway from the event is that in uncertain times, there is no better time to draw from partners and innovators who bring knowledge, passion, and resources that can move the needle on multiple goals.?Panelists represented a diverse set of initiatives, but all of them addressed young people��s well-being as a main component.?As an organization long devoted to youth mental health, we were energized by the possibilities for crossover and collaboration to help our next generation thrive, together. ? We want to thank Lisa S. Pritzker and Abby Michelson Porth of the LSP Family Foundation for convening, the University of California, San Francisco for hosting, and for everyone who participated in this inspiring event.

?? Calling all mental health advocates: Please join us on Feb. 13 from 2pm - 3pm ET for a fascinating webinar on how we can measure progress on screening, treatment, and recovery for mental health and substance use conditions. Leaders from KPMG and The Kennedy Forum will guide you through new data insights and their policy implications that can be useful for anyone in the MH/SU field and those working together to reach the 90-90-90 goals. We hope you��ll register today: https://bit.ly/42GGcJ8

The FDA approved the first non-opioid pain pill in 25 years, which helps mitigate the risk of substance use disorder and provides a new option for those who need pain relief. Our founder Patrick J. Kennedy served on the President��s Commission on Opioids which was established in 2017 to combat the opioid crisis, which continues to take tens of thousands of lives each year. Novel innovations in treatment offer new possibilities for patients, providers, and public health in the U.S. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dKETfxBG

Did you know that a sample 10,000-person company that does not invest in its brain capital risks losing tens of millions of dollars each year? During yesterday's Brain Capital Panel at the #Davos2025 Brain House, we laid out a crystal-clear business case for actively supporting the well-being of the workforce. Thanks to our partners at Bank of America, McKinsey Health Institute, Gallup and West Health for helping us shine a light on the brain capital tax. (Sheri Bronstein, Steve Clemons, Lucy Perez, Tim Lash, MBA, Rebecca O. Bagley)

According to Forbes, brain health is a top priority on the world stage, and the concept is as big as it gets for the future ... Our Founder Patrick J. Kennedy spoke to the publication about how brain health encompasses all elements of mental well-being and allows for upstream care: "Our system today is totally designed for a reactive sick care approach." The article goes on to explain how brain health "allows us to mitigate the risk factors associated with all brain health disorders �� from dementia to depression." Lucy Perez, Co-leader of McKinsey Health Institute, called brain health the "enabler of great health for everyone" and Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative Founder George Vradenburg reminded us that the "social impact of brain disorders is not going away." Click here to read the fascinating, timely discussion including our partners at friends at the Brain House in Forbes: https://lnkd.in/d8zbwd9T