Recognizing Governor Shapiro's Executive Order to create a Behavioral Health Council in which state leaders, local governments, and community providers join forces to design and implement a statewide action plan with aim to address how to effectively deliver exceptional mental health and addiction care services.

WHEREAS, Mental health and substance use disorders impact every community in Pennsylvania so it is essential that new and innovative care delivery models, workforce challenges, related social needs and inequities, and collaboration between the criminal justice system, public safety networks, and public health organizations work to treat the whole person; and

WHEREAS, The Behavioral Health Council will be the first of its kind to develop an action plan with the intent to remove silos across state agencies, healthcare providers, payers, and state and local government sectors to improve the accessibility of mental health and substance use disorder services statewide; and

WHEREAS, The Behavioral Health Council will investigate the best way to integrate mental health and substance use disorder services with a patient’s primary care provider which requires working directly with state and local agencies, commissions, or organizations already engaged in the delivery of these services; and

WHEREAS, The Behavioral Health Council will consist of 33 members under the Shapiro Administration and include a diverse array of stakeholders, all with the shared goal of creating a more holistic healthcare system in the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, In addition to the Behavioral Health Council, the Executive Order will create an advisory committee dedicated to sharing knowledge, expertise, reports, findings, and feedback from these communities with the Council to ensure the improvement of service delivery; and

WHEREAS, The creation of this Council is essential for providers and patients alike who use these services to have access to the necessary care and treatment to reduce risks that include higher morbidity and mortality, homelessness, incarceration, and suicides; and

WHEREAS, We join numerous other states such as New York and New Jersey in creating a Behavioral Health Council; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, The Council of the City of Philadelphia hereby recognizes Governor Shapiro’s Executive Order to create a Behavioral Health Council to improve the implementation of mental health and addiction care services.

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