Across the behavioral health field, interest is growing in ensuring that people with behavioral health conditions have a greater voice in the system. At the same time, a profound need exists to address structural racism in behavioral health care. It is well known that people of color who need care have significant access challenges. And the data show they are often more likely to be caught up in the criminal justice system as a result of their illnesses.
People with lived experience of the existing systems — and providers and administrators in those systems — have critical insights that are essential to finding solutions to policy and practice problems, improving care experiences and outcomes, and eventually to helping people recover and live with purpose. CHCF is helping to build a system that prioritizes engagement and self-determination by people with serious behavioral health conditions in order to codesign programmatic and policy solutions that lead to equitable care for all.