About NABH
For a future where America values the overall health of all citizens.
Mission & Vision
The National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH) advocates for behavioral healthcare and represents provider systems that are committed to the delivery of responsive, accountable, and clinically effective prevention, treatment and care for children, adolescents, adults, and older adults with mental and substance use disorders.
The NABH vision is of a society that values and maximizes the potential of all its citizens by helping them to achieve overall health. To achieve healthy communities, behavioral health will be recognized, respected, and allocated resources with fairness and equity as part of overall health.
We Believe
Behavioral healthcare associations must be united in advocacy goals to successfully improve Americans’ access to, coverage for, and outcomes in behavioral healthcare treatment. It’s up to leaders to create a climate in which competing association efforts are coordinated, advocacy messages are strengthened, and services for clients/consumers are improved. NABH must remain flexible so that it can work toward this vision.
Our History
NABH represents provider systems that treat children, adolescents, adults, and older adults with mental health and substance use disorders in inpatient behavioral healthcare hospitals and units, residential treatment facilities, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs, medication assisted treatment centers, specialty outpatient behavioral healthcare programs, and recovery support services in 49 states and Washington, D.C. The association was founded in 1933.
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1933
Nine physicians establish the National Association of Private Psychiatric Hospitals (NAPPH) at the end of the American Psychiatric Association Meeting -
1958
NAPPH changes to hospital membership from physician membership -
1964
NAPPH elects Cornelia B. Wilbur, M.D. as the association’s first female president -
1966
NAPPH works with the American Psychiatric Association’s Joint Information of Service to develop a working definition of a psychiatric hospital -
1974
NAPPH moves headquarters to Washington, D.C. -
1978
NAPPH elects first non-physician president (Ralph Barnette), beginning a tradition of alternating administrators and clinicians in the role -
1978
NAPPH forms Political Action Committee (PAC) -
1983
General hospitals move to a prospective payment system under Medicare from a cost-based system -
1984
NAPPH wins a seat on the Joint Commission’s HAP/Professional and Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) and appoints Ken Gaver, M.D. as the first representative -
1985
NAPPH direct mail campaign aims to educate major employers about the importance of mental health coverage -
1988
Ad in Washington Journalism Review highlights NAPPH’s role as a source of behavioral health information -
1989
NAPPH releases national opinion survey called Teenagers at Risk to provide a snapshot of adult perceptions of adolescent problems and barriers to seeking help; news coverage follows in outlets that include the CBS Evening News and the Associated Press -
1990-1991
An NAPPH-led coalition of 20 national health, military and veterans’ organizations is successful in delaying the implementation and reducing the scope of proposed CHAMPUS mental health cuts as the Gulf War continues to affect military families -
1992
As a member of the Coalition for Mental Healthcare Reform, NAPPH joins 33 mental health groups in issuing principles for any national health program -
1993
NAPPH issues its own proposal for healthcare reform: A Comprehensive Mental Healthcare Reform Proposal and is the first organization to present a mental healthcare reform plan to the White House Task Force Work Group on Mental Health -
1993
NAPPH becomes the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems (NAPHS) -
1997
NAPHS Board establishes the Committee on Behavioral Health Services within General Healthcare Systems -
1997
NAPHS commissions study to fight provisions in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 that would compound negative Medicare margins of many psychiatric hospitals and psychiatric units of general hospitals exempted from the Medicare prospective payment system. -
1999
The Association of Behavioral Group Practices (ABGP) merges with NABH, further expanding the Association’s representation of the continuum of care. -
2004
The Joint Commission teams with NAPHS, the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMPD) and NRI to launch hospital-based inpatient psychiatric services (HBIPS) core measures initiative -
2004
NAPHS serves as lead organization to shape and implement the psychiatric prospective payment system, or IPPS; final rule is published in November -
2006
NAPHS collaborates with the National Association for Children’s Behavioral Health to release Medicaid: Principles for Treatment of Children and Youth with Emotional and Substance Use Disorders -
2013
NAPHS releases white paper on association’s recommendations for responding to the Sandy Hook tragedy -
2018
NAPHS becomes the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH) -
2020
COVID-19 Pandemic -
2022
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D. releases Framework for Mental Health & Well-Being in the Workplace -
2022
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched -
2023
NABH celebrates 90 years of advocacy