Behavioral Health
Behavioral health is a major public health issue in the District of Columbia. Sadly, many of the legislative and regulatory initiatives around behavioral health are tied to other public health concerns, such as opioid addiction, maternal mortality, and health equity.
In partnership with the Washington Psychiatric Society, AMA, and American Psychiatric Association (APA), MSDC works to ensure that patients receive appropriate support for behavioral health issues, that the practice of psychiatry is supported in the District, and that psychiatrists are available to patients in the District.
MSDC was a proud supporter of the Behavioral Health Parity Act of 2017, which enshrined into law that all health plans offered by an insurance carrier meet federal requirements of the Wellstone/Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.
MSDC Statements and Testimony of Behavioral Health Issues
25th Council period information coming soon
MSDC + ACLM: A Partnership for Healthier Outcomes
We’re excited to announce a new partnership with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM). ACLM’s mission is to advance evidence-based lifestyle medicine to treat, reverse and prevent chronic disease.
Through this partnership, MSDC members will receive 10% off ACLM’s online CME/CE courses and registration for LM2026 Online, ACLM’s annual conference. This content will equip you with tools that help address common chronic conditions that affect the patients you care for every day.
Even better? When you make a purchase using MSDC’s unique link, a portion of the proceeds comes back to MSDC, helping support the society’s ongoing work to serve physicians, advocate for the profession, and promote access to high-quality care for patients throughout the District of Columbia.
Physicians across all specialties are seeing the growing impact of chronic disease on their patients and communities. This collaboration provides practical, evidence-based education that can help you address the root causes of chronic illness, improve patient outcomes, and support the health and well-being of you and your patients.
Learn more at the MSDC/ACLM page.
Sample of Legislation MSDC is Tracking in Behavioral Health
(see the whole list of bills here)
What does it do? The bill requires licensed health providers to complete 2 hours of CME on suicide prevention, assessment, and screening.
MSDC position: MSDC opposes the bill as written as the language does not encourage physician wellbeing or sufficient awareness of suicide prevention.
Current status: The bill had a hearing with the Committee on Health on June 10.