Recommendations for the New Administration

January 20, 2021

For 98 years, the Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice (formerly the American Orthopsychiatric Association) has brought together psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, nurses, lawyers, educators, sociologists and others dedicated to informing policy, practice, and research related to behavioral health, social justice, and well-being.

Today, on the Inauguration of the 46th President of the United States of America, we release the first of a two-part series of recommendations for the new administration. The recommendations shared today were developed by the organization’s task forces and interest groups and address concerns specific to their areas of focus: global mental health, human trafficking, justice reform, safe and humane schools, LGBTQ+, migrants and displaced persons, and military and veterans. Members of the task forces and interest groups include individuals with lived experience, researchers, clinicians, practitioners, students, and policy experts.

The task forces have been working on these recommendations for the past few months. We recognize that significant events have occurred since these recommendations were initially identified and drafted. We strongly believe that efforts to address the culture and systems that enabled and fueled the attack on the U.S. Capitol must be prioritized. We also believe that enacting the recommendations made by the Global Alliance’s task forces, all of which emphasize well-being, equity, and social justice, is essential to moving the United States toward healing and justice for all.

Part Two of the Global Alliance’s series of recommendations will appear later this year in the organization’s flagship publication, American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. These recommendations, developed by the organization’s leadership, are not meant to be quick fixes; rather, they are designed to boldly address systemic injustices that plague our everyday lives. This second set or recommendations focus on issues of grave importance to the organization – racial justice, systemic disparities, and prioritizing the behavioral health and well-being of children and families.

As an interdisciplinary, value-driven organization, the following policy principles guide the recommendations. Policies should:

Be equitable
Be universal and inclusive
Promote child, family, and community well-being
Integrate health promotion and prevention strategies in addition to intervention and treatment
Recognize and address the complex interplay among individual, relational, community, and societal factors through interdisciplinary approaches
Be grounded in science

The Global Alliance recognizes that developing and expanding evidence-based programs, addressing disparities, and ensuring accountability requires national leadership. The Global Alliance provides these recommendations to the Biden/Harris Administration as leaders in creating a healthier and more equitable nation.

Task Force Recommendations: Part 1

To explore the first set of recommendations compiled by our task forces, follow the links below:

Task Force Recommendations: Part 1

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