WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), co-author of the Mental Health Reform Act and member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, met with Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, the first nominee for the new position of Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Assistant Secretary position was created by mental health reforms championed by Murphy and U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) in their Mental Health Reform Act. Their bill was signed into law by President Obama in December 2016.

“I appreciated the opportunity to meet one-on-one with Dr. McCance-Katz today. We had a productive conversation, and it was useful to gain more insight into her experience, her priorities, and her commitment to making sure that every single person in this country with mental health needs gets the care and treatment they need. I pressed her on how she plans to implement the Mental Health Reform Act, and what the Trump administration’s efforts to derail the American health care system mean for the programs Connecticut residents rely on. I look forward to learning more during her confirmation hearing.”

Among other things, the bipartisan Mental Health Reform Act strengthened enforcement of mental health parity laws, promoted integrated mental health and physical health, and established new programs to assist those with, or at risk for, mental illness. A fact sheet on Murphy and Cassidy’s bill is available here. 

Dr. McCance-Katz attended Eastern Connecticut State University and the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. She earned her doctorate degree at Yale University where she later worked as a professor of psychiatry. She is currently the chief medical officer for the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals, and a professor at the Alpert Medical School at Brown University.

###