Report: Bipartisan Support Shown for Funding Expansion of Access to Treatment

Research released on Tuesday by the National Council for Behavioral Health shows a majority of both Republican and Democratic voters are in favor of increasing federal funding to expand mental health and addiction treatment services, but only 20% of voters believe access to such care has improved in their community in the past four years.

The data comes from polling conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the National Council as part of its Unite for Behavioral Health campaign.

Among other findings from the report:

• Overall, 82% of voters say it is important for the federal government to increase funding to expand access to mental health and addiction treatment (77% of Republican voters, 90% of Democratic voters). 83% of voters overall say it is important for their state government to expand funding.
• 24% of respondents overall say access to care has worsened in the past four years. The issue struck a chord with Democratic voters (41% say care worsened) significantly more than Republican voters (9%).
• 65% of voters are more likely to support a member of Congress who promises to do more to expand same-day access to treatment, while 70% would support a member of Congress who promises to expand 24/7 mobile crisis mental health services to respond to a mental health crisis instead of or along with law enforcement.
• 82% are more likely to support a member of Congress who promises to ensure tailored mental health and addiction treatment for veterans and active duty military.

The data was released as National Council ramps up its efforts to secure funding for the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic demonstration program before its May 22 expiration deadline. In addition to the Morning Consult data, National Council released a letter to Congress signed by 60 national groups, including the American Society of Addiction Medicine, National Alliance on Mental Illness and the American Psychiatric Association that calls on Congress to extend and expand CCBHC funding.

"Today, 113 CCBHCs in 21 states are providing access to integrated, high quality mental health and substance use treatment and 24/7 crisis care while collaborating with law enforcement, hospitals and schools to make a difference in their communities," National Council president and CEO Charles Ingoglia said in a statement. "Bipartisan congressional leadership has made this important progress possible and will continue to be essential if we are to achieve the long-term goal of extending CCBHCs nationwide.”