MHAN amplifies the voices of children, youth, adults, and families to help ensure that mental health policies, programs, and services reflect the real needs of North Dakota communities.
We advocate for meaningful involvement from families, veterans, and people living in rural and tribal communities so their experiences help shape prevention, early intervention, crisis response, and mental health service delivery.
OUR MISSION
MHAN Priorities
Invest in community-based mental health services for more than 18,000 children with serious emotional disturbance (SED). Case management, wraparound services, and crisis prevention can reduce unnecessary out-of-home placements.
Develop a regional crisis stabilization system so children and youth experiencing a mental health crisis have a safe place to stabilize without unnecessary emergency room visits or hospitalizations.
Expand the Cross-Disability Waiver to include children with mental health needs, helping fill service gaps and reduce the burden on families.
Sustain and expand funding for family support organizations so families can access essential guidance, education, resources, and support.
Expand Medicaid coverage for peer support services, ensure living wages for peer support professionals, and increase access to family peer support certification.
Establish Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) in every region. CCBHCs provide 24/7 access to a comprehensive range of mental health, substance use, crisis, and behavioral health services.
Expand mobile crisis teams statewide, particularly in rural regions, and make these services more accessible to children and families experiencing behavioral health crises.
Increase access to stable, supportive housing for people with mental health conditions, individuals involved in the justice system, and those transitioning out of institutional settings.
Expand coordinated, cross-system case management services for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness.
Oppose any waiver of the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) Exclusion. North Dakota must first strengthen community-based mental health and behavioral health services statewide before considering major changes that could increase reliance on institutional care.
