2025 Policy Institute

Watch the recording

In-person

Date: Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Time: Noon – 4 p.m. ET followed by a networking reception at 4 – 6 p.m.
Location: Capital Hilton – 1001 16th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 (room location will be emailed to registrants)

As part of MHA’s conference theme “From Awareness to Action” the 2025 National Policy Institute will discuss innovative technology in mental health and substance use, with a focus on how innovation can address the workforce shortage and improve access to care safely. We will explore the use of tele-mental health, artificial intelligence, and digital therapies in service delivery, workforce development, and outcomes measurement. We will offer principles for framing policy that protects consumer data and considers all populations, helping to eliminate disparities. We will highlight specific actions policymakers can take to promote information security, inclusion, and broader access to quality mental health care and support.

Agenda

Noon
Welcome and opening remarks

• Caren Howard, Senior Director of Policy & Advocacy, Mental Health America
• Mary Giliberti, Interim CEO, Mental Health America
• Simon Borger, Senior VP for Mental Health and Wellness, Kaiser Permanente

12:15 p.m.
Level setting: Behavioral health access and technology’s opportunity

• Jessica Jackson, Vice President of Alliance Development, Mental Health America

12:30 p.m.
Panel 1: Technology’s role in educating and training the behavioral health workforce

• Dave Atkins, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Lyssn
• Amber Jolley-Paige, VP of Clinical AI Product, mpathic
• Kay Nikiforova, Head of Clinical Research at Violet and Advisor for the National Council for Mental Wellbeing
• Minh Nguyen, Youth Policy Accelerator, Mental Health America
• Dan Gizzo, Executive Director, Mental Health Scholars Academy, Kaiser Permanente

1:15 p.m.
Remarks from Congressman Don Beyer

1:25 p.m.
Panel 2: Developing and delivering responsible digital behavioral health care

• Rebekah Bodner, The Division of Digital Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School
• Minh Nguyen, Youth Policy Accelerator Advocate, Mental Health America
• Lizzie Irwin, Policy Communications Specialist, Center for Humane Technology
• Theresa Nguyen, Chief Research Officer, Mental Health America

2:15 p.m.
Break

2:30 p.m.
Fireside chat: School tele-behavioral health programs and policy opportunities

• Zach Clark, General Manager of Platform & Chief Commercial Officer, Hazel Health
• Jessica Larochelle, Director of Public Policy and Government Relations, Massachusetts Association for Mental Health

3:00 p.m.
Youth Policy Advocacy Award presentation

• Presented to Jasmin Goodwin of Washington, DC

3:05 p.m.
Panel 4: Federal and state policy and digital behavioral health

• Sarah Scholle, Principal, Leavitt Partners
• Stephen Gillaspy, Director of the Office of Health Care Financing, American Psychological Association
• Julia Harris, Senior Director of Policy, Peterson Health Technology Institute
• Keri Wood, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Spring Health
• Kelly Davis, Vice President of Peer and Youth Advocacy, Mental Health America

3:55 p.m.
Concluding remarks

• Caren Howard, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy, Mental Health America

4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Networking reception

Questions about the program?

Contact MHA’s Director of Policy and Advocacy, Caren Howard, at choward@mhanational.org or MHA’s Public Policy Manager, Syd Daniello at sdaniello@mhanational.org.

About Mental Health America

Mental Health America (MHA) – founded in 1909 – is the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and to promoting the overall mental health of all Americans. Our work is driven by our commitment to promote mental health as a critical part of overall wellness, including prevention services for all; early identification and intervention for those at risk; integrated care, services, and supports for those who need it; with recovery as the goal.

The 2025 Policy Institute is sponsored by Kaiser Permanente.