Path Forward
News

[Washington, DC — March 2, 2026] As overdose rates remain high despite proven treatments, Path Forward today welcomed Shatterproof to its national coalition, underscoring a shared commitment to integrating substance use care into mainstream medicine and better addressing co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.

Founded in 2013, Shatterproof focuses on strengthening addiction treatment systems, reducing stigma and advancing policies that bring substance use disorder treatment into primary and mainstream health care settings. The organization also promotes improved care transitions following overdose, emphasizing coordination across emergency, behavioral health and primary care systems. It works with policymakers, health systems, employers, insurers and community partners to promote evidence-based approaches that improve care quality and expand access to treatment.

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[Washington, DC — February 18, 2026] Path Forward, a national coalition working to expand access to mental health and substance use care, today welcomed Healthy Minds Policy Initiative as its newest member. Healthy Minds Policy Initiative is a mental health policy and research organization focused on Oklahoma and is one of only a small number of dedicated mental health policy institutes in the United States.

Healthy Minds focuses on access to treatment, behavioral health workforce development, child and family mental health, and alignment of state policy with local needs. Since its founding in 2019, the organization reports its initiatives have reached more than 862,000 Oklahomans and helped secure more than $80 million in additional resources for the state’s mental health system.

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[Washington, D.C. — October 10, 2025] Nearly all large employers (97%) now offer mental health coverage, and a growing majority (67%) include substance use disorder treatment, marking clear signs of progress in addressing employee wellbeing. But a new national survey finds that the next challenge is accountability. Fewer than half of employers are measuring whether these benefits are delivering timely, effective care.

The 2025 Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) Employer Survey suggests that while a good number of employers now cover mental health care, the majority lack visibility into whether their benefits are used, if their networks are accessible, or if plans are delivering value to their employees. Poor mental health in the work force is widely understood to result in lower productivity, higher turnover, and higher health care costs for employers.

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[Washington, D.C. – Sept. 15, 2025] — Workers with mental health conditions are twice as likely as those without to report unmet mental health care needs, a stark reminder that even those with insurance struggle to get effective mental health treatment.

The consumer survey conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and released today by the Path Forward Coalition captured the experiences of people with employer-based insurance, relying on survey data from 3,100 workers across the United States. The workers were between the ages of 20 and 74 and covered with an employer-based health plan from their own employer or a spouse’s or parent’s employer. About 165 million Americans receive insurance through an employer, either their own or a family member’s.

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The COMPLETE Care Act could drive further expansion of the Collaborative Care Model

[ Washington, DC – May 20, 2025] — A first-ever national analysis reveals a tenfold increase in the commercial health insurance market in the use of the Collaborative Care Model – a proven team-based approach to mental health care that integrates screening, treatment, and psychiatric consultation directly into primary care. The model is available in all 50 states, but access remains limited: an estimated 100,000 people received services as billed for in commercial insurance in 2023, less than 1% of the nearly 60 million adults and children with mild and moderate mental illness who could benefit.

An independent global data analysis firm analyzed five years of claims data for 219 million people – nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population – in a study commissioned by the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, on behalf of Path Forward, and in partnership with the American Psychiatric Association.

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[Washington, DC – September 7, 2024] We are honored to announce that NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization, has joined Path Forward in our mission to ensure equitable access to quality mental health and substance use care. Through their network of 650 local affiliates and their national HelpLine, NAMI mobilizes 15 million people, supporting the wide net of those impacted by mental health conditions, including individuals, their families, friends, and communities. NAMI’s leadership in advocating for individuals with mental health conditions and their families has had a profound impact on communities across the nation.

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[Washington, DC – July 18, 2024] – The National Council for Mental Wellbeing has joined Path Forward, a coalition that brings together stakeholders from across the health care ecosystem, to advance targeted policies and practices that will expand equitable access to quality mental health care.

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[Washington, DC – April 25, 2023] – Only 31% of employers were satisfied with network access for behavioral health services according to a survey of 221 employers that provide health coverage to over 10 million employees and dependents. The Voice of the Purchaser Survey on Behavioral Health Support was conducted by the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions and HR Policy Association and funded by the Path Forward for Mental Health and Substance Use. Keep reading…