Funding fights, new laws, and models reshaping mental health care

Across the U.S. and globally, policymakers are reworking how mental health care is funded, governed, and delivered, from debates over Medicaid and budget cuts to major new investments like a $100 million UCLA gift and expanded youth services in Michigan. Governments are testing new levers—public awareness campaigns, parity enforcement, men’s mental health strategies, psilocybin regulations, and post‑COVID reforms—while police co-responder programs and inquiries into tragedies highlight the risks of relying on law enforcement for crisis care. At the same time, workers and researchers are pushing for stronger labor protections, workforce investments, value-based payment models, and rights- and equity-focused policies. Together these moves signal a pivotal moment, with mental health systems either moving toward integrated, community-based, evidence-driven care or deepening existing gaps in access and safety.