About Us

Founded in 1959 and based in Alexandria, VA, the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) represents the $29.5 billion public mental health service delivery system serving 6.1 million people annually in all 50 states, 4 territories, and the District of Columbia. NASMHPD (pronounced “NASH-bid”) operates under a cooperative agreement with the National Governors Association and is the only national association to represent state mental health commissioners/directors and their agencies.

While NASMHPD’s primary members are the commissioners/directors of the 55 state and territorial mental health departments, the NASMHPD structure also includes 5 divisions comprised of directors of special populations/services (Children, Youth & Families; Financing and Medicaid; Forensic; Legal; and Older Persons) as well as a Medical Directors Council. The purpose of these entities is to provide technical assistance and expert consultation to the Commissioners/Directors on issues specific to those populations. Each of the Divisions and the Medical Directors Council has a Commissioner Division Advisor.

NASMHPD has a formal affiliation with the National Association of Consumer/Survivor Mental Health Administrators (NAC/SMHA), an organization that represents the Directors of the Offices of Consumer Affairs within state mental health agencies.

In its early days, NASMHPD maintained a research division that was reconstituted in 1987 as the NASMHPD Research Institute, Inc. (NRI), a separate non-profit organization. The mission of the NRI is to promote quality and accountability of mental health services by generating and facilitating the use of relevant research, data, and information that meets the collective and individual needs of state mental health agencies.

In addition, NASMHPD has an affiliation with the approximately 220 state psychiatric hospitals, which include hospitals for children, adults, older persons, and people who have entered the mental health system via the court system. NASMHPD holds a National Summit every two years to convene the superintendents of all of these hospitals. The superintendents have established the following four regional organizations, each of which meet annually: the Southern States Psychiatric Hospital Association (SSPHO), the Midwestern Association of Mental Health Organizations (MASMHO), the Western Psychiatric State Hospital Association (WPSHA), and the Northeast Region.

NASMHPD members play a vital role in the delivery, financing, and evaluation of mental health services within a rapidly evolving healthcare environment. The principal programs operated, funded, and/or regulated by NASMHPD members serve people who have serious mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, and/or substance use disorders. This role impacts many other constituencies as well. In recognition of these mutual interests, NASMHPD has effectively responded to, and collaborated with, other organizations and individuals including those representing consumers, families, and state mental health planning and advisory councils.

As a private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) membership organization, NASMHPD helps set the agenda and determine the direction of state mental health agency interests across the country, historically including state mental health planning, service delivery, and evaluation. The association provides members with the opportunity to exchange diverse views and experiences, learning from one another in areas vital to effective public policy development and implementation. NASMHPD provides a broad array of services designed to identify and respond to critical policy issues, cutting-edge consultation, training, and technical assistance, and, together with the NASMHPD Research Institute, Inc., a partner organization, apprises constituents of the latest in mental health research in administration and services delivery. Some of the areas in which NASMHPD staff combine their expertise with members and other key constituents include: advancing intergovernmental cooperation; promoting efficient and effective management strategies; supporting state, local, and jurisdictional relationships and activities; providing policy analysis and development, technical assistance, and training in critical areas of policy and practice; responding effectively to changing organizational, practice, and finance trends; and identifying and sharing models of excellence on a myriad of topics and issues. NASMHPD shares the vision articulated in the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health Final Report and we anticipate working toward making that vision a reality.

Meetings and Discussion Forums

NASMHPD convenes two national meetings each year for state mental health agency commissioners/directors, in addition to a number of separate policy discussion, education and training events for state mental health agency staff and other public mental health advocates and constituents. These meetings allow participants to network, learn about the latest developments in issues and technology, and create a forum for the development and implementation of effective policy and service delivery strategies for the states, territories, and localities.

NASMHPD involves key stakeholders in the policy analysis and training and technical assistance processes through extensive use of focus groups, expert panels, task forces, and work groups, and through formal and informal relationships with a broad range of mental health experts, advocates, and professionals. These activities routinely combine high-level professional and academic expertise with the practical perspectives, experience and expertise of consumers, family members, and providers. As a result, policy development occurs with a full understanding of stakeholder interests and potential implementation barriers.

Information and Data

NASMHPD and the NASMHPD Research Institute, Inc. are regarded as national leaders in the compilation and dissemination of data and information related to state mental health systems’ organization and structure, financing, clients, services, and workforces. NASMHPD develops and distributes a number of publications, newsletters and bulletins on issues and activities of concern to state governments, mental health agencies, other state and local agencies, and an array of other key constituents in the behavioral healthcare fields.

Technical Assistance

NASMHPD manages a diverse portfolio of programs focused on effectively identifying and responding to the training and technical assistance needs of State Mental Health Agencies, consumers, families, and planning and advisory councils in a variety of policy, administrative, financial, clinical, and program areas. These include managed care; co-occurring mental health and addictive disorders; housing; employment; trauma/violence; the reduction and eventual elimination of seclusion and restraint; state mental health disaster planning; facilitating recovery-oriented systems of care; cultural competence; and strategic services planning and evaluation.

The ultimate goals of training and technical assistance, in this context, are the development and implementation of effective systems of care that serve adults with serious mental illness (SMI), children with serious emotional disturbance (SED), and persons with addictive disorders. NASMHPD’s approach recognizes that in order to achieve these goals, training and technical assistance must bring to bear the highest levels of subject matter expertise and must involve a broad range of key interests and multiple stakeholders, including peers who can offer unique perspectives and expertise.

Policy and Program Development

NASMHPD communicates with and assesses the needs of State Mental Health Agencies and a broader range of stakeholders; develops a policy agenda that supports state mental health agencies and the public mental health delivery system; and provides technical assistance in a timely manner and from a perspective that is relevant to the needs of states and other stakeholders; and disseminate information effectively and efficiently. This partnership provides unparalleled access to state mental health agency commissioners/directors and other senior staff, as well as nationally recognized experts including consumers, family members, researchers, academics, and other content experts.

Through a history of contracts and working agreements with the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) and other federal entities, NASMHPD has provided focused, state-of-the-art policy analysis, training and technical assistance and consultation to State Mental Health Agencies, state mental health planning and advisory councils, consumers and families to help ensure that the best practices and the most up-to-date knowledge in mental health and related fields are translated into action at the state and local levels.

Mission

General Info

Staff

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FAQ

2007 Audited Financial Statement

IRS Form W-9 Taxpayer Identification

IRS Nonprofit Exemption Letter

Virginia Sales Tax Exemption Certificate