NCSL and Other Resources on Mental Health

State Laws Mandating or Regulating Mental Health Benefits (January 2007)

A summary and chart on state mental health parity laws. It also includes information on how these services may be used in response to individuals' mental health needs related to the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Child Psychiatrist Shortage Looms (December 2005)

Almost one in five children in the United States has a diagnosable mental disorder, but only about 20 percent to 25 percent of these children receive treatment.  One reason for this treatment gap is a shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists.

State Health Lawmakers' Digest: Teen Suicide Prevention (Fall 2005)

The State Health Lawmakers' Digest focuses on a different health policy topic each quarter.  The Digest provides a brief, focused analysis of the core issue alongside useful, timely summaries of research published by state, national and private sources.

Balancing Budgets and Health Services:  Children's Mental Health Care in an Era of Budget Cuts (June 2005)

This paper provides an overview of how state budget cuts affected children’s mental health care, and reviews implications for the current system and potential trade-offs for policymakers to use as they make decisions about services for children. 

 Assisted Outpatient Treatment (October 2004)

Untreated mentally ill people comprise a disproportionately large number of both the criminal justice and homeless populations.  One policy option, assisted outpatient treatment (AOT), may benefit those who would not otherwise seek treatment.

State Health Lawmakers' Digest: Mental Health and Juvenile Justice (Spring 2004)

The State Health Lawmakers' Digest focuses on a different health policy topic each quarter.  The Digest provides a brief, focused analysis of the core issue alongside useful, timely summaries of research published by state, national and private sources.

 Children's Mental Health Screening (April 2004)

This Legisbrief explains the importance of children's mental health screening during primary care visits, and lists strategies for states to use to improve screening rates.  Subscription and password required.

Mental Health and Aging (November 2002)

This issue of the State Health Lawmakers Digest is devoted to the issues of mental health and aging.

Health Acts 2000: Summary on Mental Health Courts (February 2001)

This summary is an information service provided by NCSL's Assembly on Federal Issues' Health Committee, relating to federal issues.

Nobody's Children: Improving Services and Outcomes for Seriously Troubled Youth (December 2000)

Summary of Assembly on State Issues (ASI) Children, Families and Health Committee meeting in Washington, D.C.

Watching Out for the Mentally Ill (December 2000)

This article from NCSL's State Legislatures magazine discusses issues such as Kendra's Law, community treatment programs, and state programs.

Managed Behavioral Health Care Carveouts - Health Chairs Project (October 1998)

This page gives links and resources to supplement an article on mental health carveouts that was published in the NCSL Health Chairs Bulletin.

Mental Health Treatment: Promoting Entry and Retention, Phoenix, AZ; November 28, 2007

This session will address issues related to an individual's ability to receive appropriate mental health treatment. The session will include a discussion of changes to the mental health system over the last few decades, and in light of those changes, methods to ensure successful access to and continuation of treatment.

Adolescent Development and Mental Health, Washington D.C.; April 19, 2007 

Learn about new research on adolescent development and what those findings suggest for juvenile justice policy. Explore the prevalence of mental health issues among court-involved youths and learn how juvenile justice and mental health systems can best respond.

Promoting Children’s Mental Health, Chicago, IL; December 7, 2005

This meeting addressed ways in which state legislators can promote children’s healthy mental development in their states, and what programs work to treat children with emotional disturbances.  Presentation topics included financing strategies for public children’s mental health services, evidence-based treatments, mental health promotion in schools and teen suicide prevention. 

Caring for the Most Vulnerable:  Medicaid and Mental Health, Washington, DC;  April 15-16, 2005

This meeting focused on the increased collaboration of Medicaid and mental health resources, with a special focus on children’s mental health services. Presentation topics included detecting untreated mental health disorders, providing effective children’s mental health services through Medicaid, maintenance of Medicaid eligibility after institutionalization, issues in cost and utilization of psychotropic drugs and the impending impact of the Medicare Modernization Act on dual eligibles with a mental illness.   

This presentation, given at the Florida Mental Health Institute's 21st Annual Research Conference, highlights recent state legislative actions to address the problem of unregulated residential treatment programs for children and adolescents.

In response to the tragedy at Virginia Tech, a special group of legislators and stakeholders has been convened in Maryland to examine the states' laws surrounding access to firearms, mental health and privacy. This presentation highlights the federal framework of HIPAA and FERPA within which states must operate, and introduces examples of state legislation limiting access to firearms by people with mental health conditions.

This presentation for the Virginia House of Delegates Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee provides an overview of state involuntary outpatient commitment legislation. 

Adolescent Health

NCSL's Adolescent Health webpage provides links to NCSL resources as well as other helpful websites.

Substance Abuse

NCSL's Substance Abuse webpage provides links to NCSL resources as well as other helpful websites.

State Health Notes

State Health Notes is a free biweekly electronic newsletter that delivers timely and unbiased health policy news and analyses to state legislators and legislative staff, as well as the public. 

Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law

Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is a nonprofit legal advocacy organization.

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)

The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill is an advocacy organization for people with severe mental illnesses.

National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH)

The National Institute of Mental Health, part of the National Institutes of Health, works to achieve a better understanding of treatment for and prevention of mental illness through research.

Mental Health America (MHA)

Mental Health America (formerly the National Mental Health Association) is the country's oldest and largest nonprofit organization addressing all aspects of mental health and mental illness through advocacy, education, research and service.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

SAMHSA is the federal agency charged with improving the quality and availability of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitative services in order to reduce illness, death, disability, and cost to society resulting from substance abuse and mental illnesses.

SAMHSA Behavioral Health Headlines

This database abstracts articles related to public sector health and behavioral health services from over 150 national, State, and local newspapers, trade newsletters, professional journals, national and State reports, and SAMHSA Tracking staff interviews with key informants. Information is compiled and updated every two weeks and reported in State Behavioral Health Headlines (SBHH).

UCLA School Mental Health Project

The UCLA School Mental Health Project works with school districts, state agencies, and other organizations to address mental health and psychosocial concerns through school-based interventions.