By Tyra McNeil
The 2026 ABHW Summit’s theme carried through every session: Behavioral health is no longer a side conversation in health policy. ABHW CEO & President Debbie Witchey and Board Chair Brad Lerner (Elevance Health) made that clear from the outset, framing the day around a need to transform mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) care in America. An open fireside chat with former Congressman Patrick Kennedy II (D-RI) reinforced that urgency, offering a forward-looking view of how policy, politics, and lived experience are converging in ways that feel different from previous years. Currently CEO of The Kennedy Forum, he noted, “Mental health is not just a health care issue but a societal issue. With the data we now have, this is the moment that we can leapfrog to understanding what can help people stabilize their lives.”
From there, the day brought conversations about what’s changing in behavioral health care. Cara McNulty of Vibrant Emotional Health highlighted how innovation and policy are beginning to translate into real shifts in access and care outcomes. That momentum carried into the following panel, “What’s Next for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Regulation?” where Jen Mika (Crowell & Moring LLP), Robert Baillieu (SAMHSA), and Samuel Kaardal (Office of the National Coordinator), in conversation with Adam Easterday (Optum), unpacked the regulatory decisions that will shape the industry’s next chapter.
Capturing the energy of the room, lightning talks gave attendees the opportunity to hear from industry professionals about the developments and innovations driving change in behavioral health. Sarah Adler (Wave Life), Mike Ybarra (PhRMA), Dani Bradley (Big Health), and Trevor Colhoun (TPN.health) offered rapid-fire insights into the innovations they are actively building and scaling. Together, the speakers painted a picture of a field actively transforming.
Shifting to “Financing the Future of Behavioral Health,” panelists James Gelfand (ERISA Industry Committee), Hannah Maniates (National Alliance of Medicaid Directors), Malekeh Amini (Trayt Health), and moderator Jim Laughman (PerformCare) explored what it will take to build a sustainable care system. Across different perspectives, the panel made it clear that alignment is improving, but fragmentation remains a key challenge.
During the lunch session, Megan Hauck Marshall and Melanie Nathanson of Red + Blue Strategies offered a bipartisan look at the most pressing legislative and administrative developments affecting behavioral health. The session highlighted each party’s priorities and where their perspectives may align or diverge, providing attendees with practical insight into how federal policy is evolving in real time.
As the afternoon unfolded, the focus shifted from policy to practice. Laura Lovett (Behavioral Health Business) moderated a panel featuring Caroline Carney (Magellan Health), Arthur Evans (American Psychological Association), Chuck Ingoglia (National Council for Mental Wellbeing), and Mike Rhoades (Alera Health), grounding the conversation in real-world integration models. By the end of the discussion, attendees left with a clear understanding that integration only works when systems are intentionally structured to support it.
Building on these ideas, sessions turned to how integration is taking shape in practice. Mary Giliberti (Mental Health America), Ann Greiner (Primary Care Collaborative), Marketa Wills (American Psychiatric Association), and Laura Gomez Cadena (Healthworx Ventures), alongside Brad Lerner (Elevance Health), shared the solutions they believe are necessary to move the field forward. Their perspectives reinforced the central idea that progress depends on collaboration across sectors that have operated individually.
Led by Liane Wardlow (West Health Institute), Clare McNutt and Rebecca Klein, both of Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, discussed measurement-informed care, bringing a practical lens to implementation, addressing both the challenges and opportunities to accelerate adoption. Captivating the audience with a clear, energetic message, the session reinforced the importance of measurement-informed care as a critical component of behavioral health.
Technology, particularly AI, emerged as a defining theme late in the day. Frank Angotti (Aetna, a CVS Health Company) facilitated a discussion on how data and artificial intelligence are reshaping behavioral health delivery. As panelists, William Lopez (Evernorth), Carlos Lindo (Lucet), and Megan Lane (Kaiser Permanente) explored both the promises and limits of advancing technology—highlighting the importance of aligning innovation with quality measures and value-based policies to ensure meaningful impact.
Closing the day, David Schwartz (CareFirst) moderated a congressional panel featuring Catherine B. Hayes (GOP Doctors Caucus), Rachel Dolin (House Committee on Ways and Means), and Una Lee (House Committee on Energy and Commerce).
Their candid discussion gave attendees a rare, behind-the-scenes look at current legislative activity, funding priorities, and oversight efforts affecting mental health and substance use disorder care. For many in the room, it was a rare opportunity to connect the policy dots in real time and question the latest developments in federal health care policy. This session served as a fitting conclusion to a day defined by policy conversations shaping the future of behavioral health.
Key Takeaways
Behavioral health is starting to see real alignment across different sectors. Integration and value-based care models are leading to better outcomes and more effective care for everyone. The gap between innovation and implementation is shrinking, and new technologies are bringing real chances to improve care quality. Each session, building upon the last, showed how behavioral health is putting policy into practice, moving from just talking to making decisions.
Overall, attendees left the summit with new ideas about how health care leaders are making positive changes in access, delivery, and quality of mental health and substance use disorder services. Thank you to everyone who joined us and spoke at the summit. We are already excited to see what’s in store for next year!
— Tyra McNeil is a second-year student at Kansas State University, majoring in communications studies with a focus in political and civic advocacy. As an intern at the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness, she helps supports and advance the organization’s health policy initiatives.
View more highlights and photos from the event on our LinkedIn page.
We would like to thank our Summit sponsors for helping make this a successful event: Big Health, Crowell, Epstein Becker Green, GrayMatters Health, Groom Law Group, Guide Consulting, Meadows Mental Health, PhRMA, SimplePractice, Spring Health, TPN.health, Wave, and West Health.
