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The National Association for Behavioral Healthcare exists to effect change in behavioral healthcare by:

• advancing policy priorities, so our members can provide greater access to critical services;
• improving care by ensuring behavioral health is allocated resources with fairness and equity; and
• providing a powerful voice for those on the road to recovery.

• We are a respected industry spokesperson (for example, NABH serves on Joint Commission PTACs, works with national media, tracks and collects data for the Center for Mental Health Services, etc.).
• NABH has one of the most experienced staffs in behavioral healthcare.
• We have been a leader in facilitating effective collaborations, such as the Coalition for Fairness in Mental Illness Coverage which won federal parity legislation and the Parity Implementation Coalition which is working to implement the law, and joint ventures (including the merger between NABH and the Association of Behavioral Group Practices, and the “Memorandum of Understanding” between NABH and the American Hospital Association).
• NABH has demonstrated its commitment to changing with the times through its outreach to and collaborations with all segments of the continuum of care. NABH is making a concerted effort to include representation from all provider organizations (including youth services organizations, behavioral health services in general healthcare systems, and addiction treatment providers) and has established good working relationships with the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness (formerly the American Managed Behavioral Healthcare Association).

• We are focused on behavioral health advocacy that gets results.
• NABH has a proven advocacy track record on legislative and regulatory issues.
• We give priority to payment, reimbursement, and clinical issues (e.g., The Joint Commission, CARF), including issues such as PSNs, benefit design, parity, and payment rates for both inpatient and outpatient services.
• NABH knows and has access to the right contacts on Capitol Hill, in CMS, and in other regulatory agencies.
• We operate an effective political action committee.
• NABH commits dollars and resources to advocacy.
• We bring top lobbyists to bear on behavioral health issues.
• NABH invests in studies and analyses needed to win advocacy issues (such as the Moran Company study on ways to strengthen the inpatient psychiatric prospective payment system or the Dobson DaVanzo & Associates study on the economic impact of inpatient psychiatric facilities).

We have been a leader in the behavioral health space, providing a voice for the mentally ill since 1933. Milestones of our work in partnership with others includes:

• 2016 Supporting the 21st Century Cures Act;
• 2008 Champions for the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act;
• 2004 Helping develop core measures for inpatient psychiatric care;
• 1985 Promoting a campaign to educate employers about mental health coverage; and
• 1965 Successfully advocating for inpatient psychiatric coverage in Medicare.

• NABH has a sophisticated data-collection process through its annual survey, which is expanding to cover data on the full continuum of care.
• We develop regular white papers on issues facing the behavioral health industry, that are only available through membership.
• The NABH Annual Meeting brings members together to learn about industry trends and collective Capitol Hill visits.

• NABH members are the top decision-makers and most senior executives within their behavioral health systems.
• NABH has a wide variety of system members-including integrated health systems, hospitals, units and behavioral health divisions of general hospitals, partial hospitalization programs, community mental health centers, residential treatment centers, youth services organizations, and addiction treatment centers-located in all regions of the country.
• Member systems provide active treatment and prevention programs for children, adolescents, adults, older adults, and alcohol and substance abuse patients, and most offer a continuum of services such as inpatient, partial hospitalization, residential treatment, and outpatient care. NABH members are actively working to develop integrated delivery systems that offer the most effective and efficient care.