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In 1908, Clifford Beers founded the Connecticut Society for Mental Hygiene. This society helped find specialized and intensive mental health services such as case management, and day treatment, which can be hard to find anywhere else. They were used as a resource to advise and inform people of mental health practices, creating awareness of mental health. -
The National Mental Health Association (NMHA) was founded 1909 by Clifford W. Beers. It was referred to as the National Committee for Mental Hygiene and is now known as Mental Health America. The purpose of promoting mental health is to offer early prevention programs and integrated care for all those in need. -
The Henry Phipps Psychiatric Clinic was opened on April 16, 1913. This was the nation’s first inpatient treatment facility for the mentally ill. The goal of this psychiatric clinic was to help produce superior physicians, seek knowledge for the advancement of new medicine, and provide the mentally ill with the finest patient care. -
In 1920, the National Committee for Mental Hygiene developed a set of model commitment laws. These laws were incorporated into several state statutes and used to advocate the right to treatment for patients with mental illness. -
In 1930, Mental Health America convened the First International Congress on Mental Hygiene in Washington D.C.. Bringing together more than 3,000 individuals from 41 countries, this congress set forth a more widely inclusive aim in improving the condition of the insane and educating the public in the prevention of mental disease. -
In 1946, President Harry Truman passed the National Mental Health Act, enabling the founding of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Making mental health a federal priority, this act provided financial support for research into psychological disorders, professional training, and grants to states for mental health centers and clinics. -
The Mental Health Study Act of 1953 allowed the National Institute of Mental Health to study and make recommendations on various mental health illnesses within the U.S., aiding in its awareness. The act helped to sponsor the creation of the Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Health. -
Congress passed the Community Mental Health Centers Act (CMHC) in 1963. This act authorized building grants to construct community mental health centers under President Kennedy, ensuring more access to treatment for the mentally ill. -
Mental Health America produced and distributed the film "Only Human" in 1971, airing it on more than 150 television stations, to improve public understanding and acceptance of mental illness. -
Title I: Protection and Advocacy Systems - Part A: Establishment of Systems - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make allotments for establishing and administering State systems designed to protect and advocate the rights of the mentally ill. Sets forth the authorities such a system shall have. -
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in several areas, including employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications, and access to state and local government programs and services. -
Mental Health America joined the Congressional Black Caucus and the National Institute of Mental Health, organizing the first comprehensive conference on The State of Mental Health and Mental Illness in Black America. -
The National Institute of Mental Health released the Real Depression campaign in the spring of 2003. The components of the campaign are described and placed in the context of literature on men, masculinity, and help-seeking. This campaign helped inform men about depression and sought to create awareness in men of the symptoms of depression. -
The ACA also guaranteed access to mental health services within individual, small-group (fully insured), and Medicaid expansion plans by mandating that they cover 10 essential health benefits, including mental health and prescription drugs. Mental Health America helped advocate for mental health patients in the Affordable Care Act. With the ACA, millions of people with mental illness are eligible for Medicaid. -
First Introduced on June 4, 2015, The Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2016 is a bipartisan effort aimed at reforming federal mental health policies and programs so that patients—especially those with serious mental illness (SMI)—have more access to evidence-based care.