This webinar offered behavioral health professionals, administrators, and advocates a comprehensive update on recent federal policy changes affecting mental health and substance use disorder services.
Jonah Cunningham, President and CEO of National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD) provided context and background on current policy developments on the federal level including budget rescissions, the proposed restructuring of key agencies, and legislative actions that impact behavioral health funding and service delivery. Attendees were given timely information on how recent policy developments may affect their organizations and communities as well as resources for engagement.
Key Outcome:
Policy Navigation Framework: Participants will receive a clear understanding of recent federal budget resolutions, rescission measures, and reorganization efforts affecting behavioral health programs, with specific attention to funding streams, reporting requirements, and compliance timelines.
Resources Shared
Speaker Information
Jonah C. Cunningham currently serves as President and CEO of the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD). In this role he proactively advocates for national policies that recognize and support the critical role counties play in caring for people affected by mental illness, addiction, and developmental disabilities. In this capacity he also serves as Executive Director of the National Association for Rural Mental Health.
Prior to joining NACBHDD, Jonah worked at Trust for America’s Health, a public health think tank, where he focused extensively on ways to reduce mortality from substance misuse and suicide. Additionally, he worked as a congressional staffer for several years in the office of Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano (CA) where he helped to reestablish the Congressional Mental Health Caucus and created a Suicide Prevention Task Force within the Caucus.
Jonah C. Cunningham has received numerous awards and recognition for his commitment to the field of behavioral health and those served by the nation’s behavioral health system. Jonah has a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Utah and a Master of Public Policy from The George Washington University. In his free time, he enjoys learning how to cook and is an avid Jiu-Jitsu practitioner.