Making Behavioral Health Work

In September, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the HHS Roadmap for Behavioral Health Integration, which sets out policies that will contribute to better integration of mental health and substance use care into the larger health care system. The roadmap advances President Biden’s Strategy to Address our National Mental Health Crisis and builds on the three pillars in the strategy: to strengthen system capacity, to connect Americans to care, and to support Americans by creating healthy environments.

On December 13, the USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative on Health Policy will host HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra for a fireside chat to discuss the administration’s efforts to advance the integration of behavioral health into health care and other services. The event will conclude with a panel discussion among behavioral health experts and stakeholders, including HHS Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm. Complementing the convening, Brookings has released two new whitepapers on policies to strengthen mental health delivery. These whitepapers can be found here and here.

Viewers can submit questions for speakers by emailing events@brookings.edu or via Twitter by using #MakingBHWork.

Welcome and introduction

Richard G. Frank

Director, USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy


Fireside chat with Secretary Becerra

Xavier Becerra

Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services

Amanda Seitz (Moderator)

Reporter, The Associated Press


Panel discussion

Andrea Palm

Deputy Secretary, US Department of Health and Human Services

Jameta Barlow

Assistant Professor of Writing, Health Policy & Management, and Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies, George Washington University

Howard Goldman

Professor of Psychiatry, University of Maryland, School of Medicine

Kenna Chic

Former President, Project Lighthouse, Georgetown University

Sandra Wilkniss

Senior Program Director, NASHP

Vikki Wachino (Moderator)

Principal, Viaduct Consulting, LLC Former Director and Deputy Administrator, Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services


Event Date
Tuesday, December 13, 2022
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Eastern
Location