Next Gen Prevention: Our Strategic Plan
For more than 100 years, Mental Health America has led the fight for mental health and well-being and today, we continue to fight for and center the needs of people with lived experience.
We celebrate our progress and acknowledge the frontiers that lie ahead — including the outlook for young people who are navigating new challenges of maintaining good mental health and wellness. Today, we are focused on the future.
Our strategic plan, Next Generation Prevention (Next Gen), centers our attention on the health and well-being of future generations and systemic reforms, as well as the embrace of new frontiers of science — from digital solutions to spirituality. All of this will change how we approach whole person health and healing.
Our Mission
Mental Health America advances the mental health and well-being of all people living in the U.S. through public education, research, advocacy and public policy, and direct service.
Our Vision
We envision a world in which all people and communities have equitable opportunity for mental health and well-being and are enabled to flourish and live with purpose and meaning.
Our Commitments
Lived experience
We follow the lead of those with lived experience to improve the future of health and well-being.
Prevention
We invest in prevention to save lives today and save costs tomorrow.
Access
We ensure equitable and affordable access to mental health care.
Equity
We advocate for all people to have vital conditions for safety and well-being.
What We Do
We help
Our resources are among the most robust and widely referenced for people seeking help for their mental health, from how to navigate health care systems to working with providers and finding support in your local community.
We inform
Our growing body of research and knowledge is a resource for people navigating mental health conditions, and our screening tools provide guiding resources to help you understand and improve your mental health.
We inspire action
We advocate for reform wherever there has been harm, injustice, or exclusion in the field of mental health. Through the strength of our national network and the work of the national office, we identify and replicate efforts that close the mental health equity gap through policy and practice.
Our programs
Our programs and initiatives fulfill our mission of promoting mental health and preventing mental illness through advocacy, education, research, and services.
Our Horizon Focus Areas
We will advance this work through six horizon focus areas, guided by the needs of people with lived experience.
Social Drivers of Mental Health
Next Generation Equity
We advance the understanding that addressing the social drivers of mental health are vital conditions of overall well-being.
Next Gen Digital
Next Generation Innovation
We ensure the next wave of digital supports and services center lived experience in solutions.
Spirituality
Next Generation Resilience
We elevate the concepts of spirituality and consciousness in the public understanding of mental health.
Screening 2.0
Next Generation Prevention
We explore the development of National Prevention and Screening Programs as tools that can be used by individuals, schools, payers, and/or employers.
Collective Impact
Next Generation Sustainability
We enhance the capacity of our Affiliate Network and establish strategic partnerships to expand our national reach and impact.
Substance Use
Next Generation Support
We more fully integrate substance use and mental health on a national level through advocacy, research, and public education.