National Association Of State Mental Health

At the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), we have been dedicated to serving the needs of the nation's public behavioral health system for over 60 years. As the only member organization representing state executives responsible for the public mental health service delivery system, we provide a platform for our members to work together to promote wellness, recovery, and resiliency for individuals with mental health conditions, co-occurring mental health and substance-related disorders, or other conditions that may co-occur with mental health.

Our Mission

Our mission is to work with states, territories, Pacific jurisdictions, federal partners, and stakeholders to promote wellness, recovery, and resiliency for individuals with mental health conditions, co-occurring mental health and substance-related disorders, or other conditions that may co-occur with mental health, across all ages and racial, ethnic, and cultural groups.

Our Services

We offer a range of services to support our members and the public behavioral health system. These services include:

Technical Assistance: We provide technical assistance to state mental health agencies to help them improve their services and programming.

Policy and Advocacy: We work with policymakers and advocates to promote the needs of the public behavioral health system and advocate for policies that support the well-being of individuals with mental health conditions.

Education and Training: We offer a range of educational and training opportunities for our members and the public, including conferences, webinars, and workshops.

Research and Data Analysis: We conduct research and analysis to better understand the needs of the public behavioral health system and to inform policy and practice.

Collaboration and Partnerships: We work with other organizations and stakeholders to build partnerships and collaborations that support the public behavioral health system.

Publications and Resources: We produce a range of publications and resources, including reports, policy briefs, and toolkits, to support the public behavioral health system.

Transforming Crisis Systems: We are dedicated to transforming crisis systems to improve outcomes for individuals with mental health conditions.

Early Intervention in Psychosis: We work to promote early intervention in psychosis to improve outcomes for individuals with psychotic disorders.

Recovery and Resiliency: We support recovery and resiliency for individuals with mental health conditions and their families.

Public Health Crisis Response: We work to improve public health crisis response to respond to the needs of individuals with mental health conditions during crisis situations.

2022 Paper Series Compendium: We have published a compendium series highlighting the importance of crisis response and the role of crisis hotlines in improving mental health outcomes.

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: We support the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, a nationwide hotline providing 24/7 support for individuals in crisis.

Crisis Care: We work to improve crisis care by providing training and resources for crisis workers.

Research and Data Analysis: We conduct research and analysis to better understand the needs of the public behavioral health system and inform policy and practice.