Addressing Behavioral Health Disparities Through State Policy

The U.S. Surgeon General has identified workplace mental health and well-being as a critical priority for public health, and has suggested that the pandemic brought the relationship between work and well-being into sharper focus. While behavioral health challenges affect every demographic group, there are significant disparities in both the incidence and prevalence of them and the access to and utilization of behavioral health services. Addressing those disparities and meeting the needs of underserved communities through public policy will be an important component in advancing worker mental health. This webinar will highlight key behavioral health disparities as well as state policy initiatives to address disparities by focusing on data, health equity and cultural competency. The webinar will also highlight the work of the SEED Mental Health Matters Task Force on Workforce Mental Health Policy, a group of policymakers that in 2023 helped inform a new policy framework on these issues.