National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors

The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) is a non-profit membership organization established to reflect and advocate for the collective interests of state mental health agency directors and staff at the national level. NASMHPD seeks to function in a flexible, consensus-based, inclusive, rapidly responsive manner that both reflects and responds to the needs of directors and senior staff. The organization also works to respond, on national, state, county, and local levels, to issues relating to mental health services. Organized in 1959, NASMHPD objectives are: to manage finances and resources responsibly; support and promote publicly operated or managed services that are consistent with best practices; encourage research toward the development of knowledge to benefit persons with mental illness; afford respect to all participants; and encourage the participation of primary consumers and their families. NASMHPD provides a broad array of member services, such as identifying and responding to critical policy issues; providing cutting-edge consultation, training, and technical assistance; presenting state mental health viewpoints and concerns to the U.S. Congress; and providing technical assistance including managed care, housing, evaluation, and employment and services planning.