NAPHS Becomes National Association for Behavioral Healthcare

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Board of Trustees of the former National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems (NAPHS) announced the association has changed its name to the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH), effective Monday, March 19, 2018.

"Today, our country's behavioral healthcare challenges seem greater than ever," said NABH President/CEO Mark Covall. "The opioid crisis, high rate of suicide, and spate of mass shootings remind us every day why our members are critical players in America's healthcare continuum," he continued.  "Our nation's behavioral health needs are as complex as they are numerous. That's why we decided our association's name should better reflect all our members and the comprehensive range of services they provide."

Last fall, the Board agreed the new association name should:

• Reflect the association's Mission to advocate for behavioral healthcare and represent the providers who deliver care to those with mental health and substance use disorders;
• Reflect the association's Vision of a society where behavioral healthcare is recognized, respected, and allocated resources with fairness and equity as part of overall health;
• Represent the association's diverse membership; and
• Invite other organizations to join the association.

"For 85 years, our association's members have cared for those with mental health and substance use disorders, and always looked ahead to new treatments, programs and services," said NABH Board Chair Brent Turner. "Our Board understood that our new name should build on our association's excellent and longstanding work—and, more important, position the association for the future."

Also Monday, the Board introduced NABH's social media channels on Twitter (@NABHbehavioral), LinkedIn and YouTube. The announcements came on the first day of the 2018 NABH Annual Meeting (#NABH18), which will take place at the Mandarin Oriental Washington, DC through Wednesday. Guest speakers at the meeting include Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Elinore McCance-Katz, M.D., Ph.D., former NFL player and behavioral healthcare advocate Ryan Leaf, former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), and Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.)

About NABH
The National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH) advocates for behavioral healthcare and represents provider systems that are committed to the delivery of responsive, accountable, and clinically effective prevention, treatment, and care for children, adolescents, adults, and older adults with mental and substance use disorders. Its members are behavioral healthcare provider organizations that own or manage more than 1,000 specialty psychiatric hospitals, general hospital psychiatric and addiction treatment units and behavioral healthcare divisions, residential treatment facilities, youth services organizations, and extensive outpatient networks. The association was founded in 1933.

SOURCE National Association for Behavioral Healthcare