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Established by former congressman Patrick F. Kennedy, the Kennedy Forum strives to stay true to President Kennedy’s vision – for everyone to live dignified lives and take advantage of the benefits that come with being American. The Community Mental Health Act signed 50 years ago provided a sound foundation for mental health parity laws and regulations. President Kennedy once stated in 1963, “we cannot afford to postpone any longer a reversal in our approach to mental affliction. For too long the shabby treatment of the many millions … needing help has been justified on grounds of inadequate funds, further studies and future promises. We can procrastinate no more.” This call to action is the basis on which the Kennedy Forum was founded.
To honor and celebrate the Community Mental Health Act, the Kennedy Forum Conference began with a gala at the JFK Presidential Library and Museum, a live national webinar and an all-day conference. Topics included research, early invention programs, mental health and the workplace, policymaking and discussions on work that still needs to be done.
The Kennedy Forum Conference attracted a number of well-known and respected individuals as well as organizations such as Vice President Joe Biden, the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, Brandon Marshall (receiver for Chicago Bears), Chelsea Clinton, American Psychiatric Foundation, International Mental Health Research Organization and many more.
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Vice President Biden spoke at the JFK Library and Museum for the 50th anniversary of the Community Mental Health Act. He discussed how the Administration still has a number of behavioral health items still on the White House agenda such as reducing stigma, increasing access to mental health services and giving the public the opportunity to voice opinions on the matter. He also mentioned how the Obama Administration proposed to spending $100 million to map the human brain.
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From managing his own non-profit organization, commemorating the signing of the Community Mental Health Act, to appearances and interviews on mental health and parity, Representative Kennedy stays busy advocating for mental health consumers. Kennedy recently spoke on mental health parity, “I see this not only as a medical issue, where we need to treat the brain like any other organ in the body, I see this as a civil rights issue.” In an interview with Linda Rosenberg, President and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health, Kennedy gives his perspective on whether he thinks his uncle would be happy with the progress the nation is making.