City Club of Chicago: Patrick J. Kennedy – Profiles on Courage in Mental Health | WGN Radio 720

25 June 2024

Patrick J. Kennedy: Profiles in Mental Health Courage – Join a compelling conversation about the courage and resilience of people living with mental illness and addiction.

Description of the City Club event:

Patrick J. Kennedy
During his 16 years in the U.S. House of Representatives as a representative of Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District, Patrick J. Kennedy fought to end discrimination against people with mental illness, addictions, and other brain disorders. He is best known as the chief sponsor of the landmark Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which was passed with bipartisan support and signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 3, 2008. The federal Parity Act provides access to mental health and addiction treatment for millions of Americans who were previously denied treatment by requiring insurance companies to cover treatment for mental and substance use disorders no more restrictively than they cover treatment for physical illnesses such as diabetes and cancer.

In addition to the Federal Parity Act, during his time in Congress, Kennedy authored and sponsored dozens of bills to improve the understanding and treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including the Positive Aging Act, the Foundations for Learning Act, the National Neurotechnology Initiative Act, the Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act, the COMBAT PTSD Act, the Nurse-Family Partnership Act, the Alzheimer’s Treatment and Caregiver Support Act, and the Ready, Willing, and Able Act, which required the Department of Homeland Security to deploy a civil response system to mitigate the psychological effects of terrorism. He served on various committees and subcommittees, including the House Appropriations Committee, the Subcommittee on Health, Education, and Welfare, the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and the Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs.

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In 2013, he founded the Kennedy Forum, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to create a national dialogue on transforming mental health and addiction treatment by uniting mental health advocates, business leaders, and government agencies around shared principles, including full implementation of the federal Parity Act. The Forum aims to achieve health equity by advancing evidence-based practices, policies, political will, and programs in mental health and addiction treatment.

In 2023, Patrick Kennedy and the Kennedy Forum launched Alignment for Progress, a national mental health and substance use disorder strategy. It is a dynamic resource for federal decision-makers that lays the foundation for a community-led system of care and defines a shared path toward better mental health and substance use care for all. At the Alignment for Progress conference, Kennedy called for “90/90/90 by 2023!” A goal where 90% of all individuals are screened for mental health and substance use disorders, 90% of those in need can receive evidence-based treatment, and 90% of those treated are able to manage their symptoms during recovery.

On April 30, 2024, Patrick Kennedy’s second book with co-author Stephen Fried was released: Profiles in Mental Health Courage. Profiles in Mental Health Courage chronicles the dramatic journeys of a diverse group of Americans who struggled with their mental health. This book offers deeply compelling stories of the courage and resilience of those living with a variety of mental illnesses and addictions. When Kennedy’s uncle, President John F. Kennedy, published his classic book Profiles in Courage, he hoped to inspire “political courage” by telling the stories of courageous U.S. Senators who changed America. In Profiles in Mental Health Courage, former Congressman Kennedy adapts his uncle’s idea to inspire the “mental health courage” needed for people with these conditions to treat their illnesses and take the risk of telling their stories to help America address its crisis in our families, our workplaces, our prisons, and our streets. The silence surrounding these illnesses remains vast, and this book takes a brutal look at the experience of mental illness and addiction, inspiring deep connection, empathy, and action.

In addition to countless recognitions, meaningful partnerships, and political affiliations, Kennedy’s most important accomplishment continues to be leveraging his family legacy in civil rights, mental health, and intellectual disability to advance the cause of social justice and health equity for all people. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, Amy, and their children.