Our work to address the challenges in America’s mental health care system begins with our care. We provide high-quality mental health and addiction care tailored to our patients’ social, cultural, and language needs. We also work to improve the health and well-being of all the people we serve.

Mental health principles we support

Coverage

We support health care coverage that recognizes mental health as being equally important as physical health. We believe it should be designed to deliver the right mental health and addiction care at the right time, and in the right setting.

Care

We promote policies that ensure people have access to high-quality mental health and addiction care that is safe, timely, effective, equitable, and patient-centered.

Expanding the mental health workforce

Many people in the United States, particularly those in rural and economically challenged communities, live in areas with shortages of full-time mental health professionals. Many mental health professionals do not accept insurance or participate in Medicare or Medicaid.

We support policies that increase the size and linguistic capabilities of the mental health workforce to meet the needs of all populations. Learn how Kaiser Permanente is helping grow the mental health care workforce.

Evidence-based care

The current mental health system in the U.S. does not meet the differing needs of adults, teenagers, and children. We support policies that establish consistent quality measures to evaluate whether mental health treatments are working and whether people are receiving effective care. These measures can help strengthen accountability, expand care grounded in strong research, and improve outcomes for patients.

Substance use disorder care

We support policies that increase access to life-saving drugs like naloxone and medications like buprenorphine and methadone. We aim to remove barriers to effective treatments, integrate substance use disorder care into primary care, and support prevention programs in schools. These efforts can help more people get the care they need and reduce the stigma around substance use disorders.

School-based services

We support policies that provide school personnel and students with access to effective mental health education, training, and resources. We also support efforts to work with families, schools, and communities to break cycles of trauma and prevent adverse childhood experiences — potentially traumatic events, such as physical and emotional abuse, that occur before a child turns 18.

Defeating stigma

Stigma can be a significant obstacle to recovery, treatment, and societal acceptance for people living with mental health conditions. We support policies that reduce stigma. By bringing mental illness into the open and creating a culture of acceptance and support, we can encourage people to seek the help and support they need.

Crisis services

We support policies that expand crisis services for people experiencing serious mental health episodes and the acute effects of addiction. These policies include funding state crisis-response teams and 24/7 crisis-support services.

¹ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2025.
² Health Resources and Services Administration, 2025.