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In an effort to increase awareness and understanding of issues affecting the more than 50 million Americans who suffer from mental illness, President Clinton hosted a White House conference on Mental Health at Howard University in Washington, D.C. this past June. The President asked Congress to insure that Americans with mental illness receive the same insurance benefits as they do for any other physical ailments. He announced that the health plans the federal government offers to its employees will provide this equal treatment, or parity of insurance coverage.

The conference, said to be the first-ever of its kind, was organized and moderated by Ms. Tipper Gore, President Clinton's Mental Health Advisor. Ms. Gore spoke openly of her own episode with depression. "To improve the health of our nation, we must make sure our mental health is taken as seriously as our physical health," Ms. Gore said. "This is why we are taking new steps to break down myths and misperceptions about mental illness, highlight new cutting-edge treatments, and encourage Americans to get the (mental health) help they need." Ms. Gore spoke before only a select 550 guests invited to attend this conference, with many more thousands fortunately able to participate in discussion groups while viewing the conference by way of live satellite broadcasts to nearly 6,000 downlink sites throughout the country.

Local downlink sites included one co-sponsored by NAMI/YC/Metro in Manhattan, SUNY/Downstate Health Center in Brooklyn (with NYC Voices' own Dr. Stephen M. Goldfinger moderating), the MHA in Nassau County, in association with Hofstra University, and Creedmore Psychiatric Center in Queen's Village. Others could keep informed of conference activities through its Website address, www.mentalhealth.gov.

Several people, suffering from a variety of mental illnesses, including CBS news reporter Mike Wallace, were interviewed during the course of the conference about their individual experiences with their illnesses. They shared stories much like those we publish of people struggling with mental illness in this journal. Several different workshops were held too, each hosted by senior administration officials together with participating members of Congress.

President Clinton outlined a number of actions he has initiated that will provide parity of treatment for mental illness equal to treatment received for physical illnesses. He has called on Congress to enact legislation to ensure quality care and services for Americans with mental illnesses. He has asked that Congress immediately hold hearings on the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 for the purpose of strengthening the weaknesses and gaps in this law and expanding the Act. His budget proposal for fiscal year 2000 includes a $70 million increase in the mental health block grant and a nineteen percent increase in funds for the Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) Program. The President has also called upon the states to expand their coverage in this area.

The President also took the opportunity of this conference to make clear again his support for the Jeffords-Roth-Moynihan Bill which would enable people with mental illness to buy into Medicare and Medicaid at affordable rates once they return to work, a strong, enforceable Patient's Bill of Rights for managed care, and comprehensive privacy protection for psychiatric records.

While consumer advocate views about the conference differ, few disagreed that bringingthe importance of the nation's mental health to a national audience was long overdue.