Kaiser Permanente is committed to public policies that improve the quality of and access to mental health care and services. We are working to address the challenges in America’s mental health care system and contributing to the global mental health movement.

Kaiser Permanente believes in and supports the following mental health guiding principles:

• Coverage: We support a model of health care coverage that recognizes mental health as being equally important as medical health, and that is designed to deliver the right mental health and addiction care at the right time, in the right setting.
• Systems of care: We promote policies that ensure individuals have access to high-quality mental health and addiction care that is safe, timely, effective, equitable, efficient, and patient-centered.
• Prevention and early intervention in communities: We are committed to working with families, schools, and communities to break the cycle of trauma today and prevent adverse childhood experiences, known as ACEs, for generations to come. This requires working with partners to develop and expand programs that address needs through early intervention in community environments such as homes, day care centers, recreational settings, and schools.
• Research: We conduct extensive research to improve mental health care and outcomes. Our research helps build the evidence base for mental health and substance abuse disorder treatments and improve public understanding in this area.
• Defeating stigma: We are committed to removing the barriers that prevent people from seeking the support and care they need. Stigma can be a significant obstacle to recovery, treatment, and societal acceptance for people living with mental health conditions. By bringing mental illness out into the open and creating a culture of acceptance and support, we can encourage people to seek the help and support they need.
• Building the mental health workforce: We support policies that expand high-quality, professional, postgraduate training programs for therapists and others who intend to join the mental health profession.
   

¹ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2019.
² Kaiser Family Foundation, 2019.
³ JAMA Pediatrics, 2019.