Former addiction counselor Addison McFerren remains active in the mental health community through conferences and events with many mental health organizations. One organization whose conferences Addison McFerren has attended is the American Psychiatric Association (APA), which advocates for mental health and psychiatric professionals at the federal and state levels.
A major element of APA advocacy is ongoing work to support the 21st Century Cures Act, as well as its mental health antecedents in the Affordable Care Act and Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. APA seeks to ensure that all mental health reform provisions in these laws receive appropriate resources for implementation and in turn reduce the burden of mental health coverage for Americans.
The provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act that the APA supports include the strengthening of mental health parity and efforts to address workforce shortages in mental health areas. The law also outlines specific research and strategic initiatives, such as billions of dollars for brain health research and efforts to reduce the impact of opioid addiction.
