Charting Our Course:
The National Council’s Five-Year Strategic Plan
Nearly 30 million people across the U.S. do not have access to affordable, comprehensive mental health and substance use treatment.
That’s where we come in!
The National Council for Mental Wellbeing is the unifying voice of organizations that deliver mental health and substance use recovery services in America.
North Star: Our Vision
We are driven by our vision that mental wellbeing – including recovery from substance use – is a reality for everyone, everywhere. It’s who we are. It’s what we do.
Our Commitment
In October 2024, we launched a Five-Year Strategic Plan outlining a path for change that addresses the urgent needs of communities and the long-term needs of the field. Our goals reflect our priorities. The following five areas will be the driving force for our work and keep us focused on what is essential to creating meaningful change.Our Goals
Goal 1: Advocate for the most effective public policy in our field.
The National Council’s public policy efforts support bills that increase funding for greater health equity, expand mental health and substance use treatment programs and policies, boost pay rates and expand the workforce. Our policy agenda touches Medicare, Medicaid and discretionary programs across the federal government.
We will advocate for the most effective public policy in our field by:
- Supporting legislation and administrative efforts to expand, protect, retain and diversify the workforce and advance the workforce pipeline.
- Increasing equitable access to high-quality services via Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics and other policies.
Goal 2: Strengthen, diversify and grow National Council membership.
The National Council’s membership model is primarily based on what we call “100% state associations,” mental health and substance use care and treatment organizations that are part of associations or state government entities that are National Council members. We also welcome “stand-alone” members and do so in coordination with state associations, where possible.
We will strengthen, diversify and grow National Council membership by:
- Enhancing engagement with 100% state associations — mental health and substance use care and treatment organizations that are part of an association or state government entity that is a member of the National Council.
- Increasing stand-alone membership in non-100% states and partner with 100% state associations on membership growth.
Goal 3: Meaningfully impact our members’ workforce and leadership development challenges.
Overcoming the labor shortage in our field is our most significant challenge. We are raising the profile of careers in mental health and substance use care to meet historic demand and provide meaningful employment opportunities.
We will meaningfully impact our members’ workforce and leadership development challenges by:
- Exploring and implementing partnerships and programs to facilitate the creation of scalable workforce pipeline offerings for our members.
- Mitigating racial, ethnic, linguistic and socioeconomic disparities in licensure pass rates.
Goal 4: Increase the reach and impact of our education, training and services.
Our training and education efforts provide invaluable insights and resources that make the field stronger.
We will increase the reach and impact of our education, training and services by:
- Improving ease of use and accessibility of products and services.
- Expanding content offerings to increase workforce capacity and address members’ training and education needs.
Goal 5: Expand the National Council brand, stressing mental wellbeing, mental health, and substance use awareness.
By raising our profile, we also are raising awareness about the need to improve access to care, advance health equity, eliminate stigma and break down the barriers that prevent people from living healthy lives.
We will expand the National Council brand, stressing mental wellbeing, mental health and substance use awareness by:
- Affirming a definition of “mental wellbeing” for the field and for the National Council.
- Increasing National Council visibility for members at a regional level.
Our Destination
We are committed to achieving meaningful change for our members and the field so they can more effectively provide life-changing services to individuals and communities across the nation. Over the next five years:
Our mission and our path forward have never been clearer.
Join us in the jouney
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