Schizophrenia Policy Action Network

05/26/2026

The costs of schizophrenia do not stay in one system. They show up across healthcare, housing, homelessness, employment, disability programs, caregiving, justice involvement, and community supports.

That is why the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance’s new $COPE 360™ tool is such an important resource for advocacy and policy action.

$COPE 360™ helps make the hidden and shifting costs of schizophrenia visible, with national and state-level data that can support better policy decisions, funding discussions, research, and systems change.

For SPAN, this is exactly the kind of evidence advocates and policymakers need to understand why we cannot keep underinvesting in treatment, early intervention, coordinated care, caregiver support, and long-term solutions.

Read the press release: https://www.einpresswire.com/article/915188824/schizophrenia-psychosis-action-alliance-launches-cope-360-schizophrenia-cost-perspective-engine-across-50-states?fbclid=IwZnRzaASDHM1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe6RjU_D5ZNFU7Y8nUFrn-vmdvnN2joLG4eO_ftiszPTB0RWoOwaV_xl8Z8ME_aem_YWdncwAMzV7xNQnTjHBOFIiSnMUJ&brid=YWdncwGunr24hBKyAxjBBhKZtRMg

Explore $COPE 360™: https://sczaction.org/scope360/

#$COPE360

Interactive data visualization tool for exploring and comparing schizophrenia costs across states and systems for policy, research, advocacy, & public health.

05/01/2026

New data shows voters believe the health care system is failing people with serious mental illness.

A new national poll from the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Network (SPAN) shows overwhelming bipartisan support for improving access to care for people living with serious mental illness, including schizophrenia and other psychosis spectrum disorders.

Voters agree the system is not working, and they want action. From stronger insurance coverage to increased federal funding, the message is consistent: people should be able to access care before crisis.

Read more about the survey results here: https://www.einpresswire.com/article/909659292/new-national-poll-shows-bipartisan-voter-support-for-improved-care-for-serious-mental-illness-and-congressional-action

We encourage individuals across the country to reach out to their elected officials and call for stronger mental health resources, better access to treatment, and policies that ensure care is available before crisis. This is a moment policymakers cannot ignore.

Survey shows voters believe the health care system is failing people with serious mental illness, want policymakers to make mental health care a top priority.

05/29/2024

A new ProPublica investigation reveals that a Mississippi hospital routinely sends patients awaiting inpatient psychiatric treatment to jail until a treatment bed can be found, because it has no psych beds of its own. One person committed su***de while imprisoned; another died of multiple organ failure One man was jailed for 2 months. Many said they were not always given their medicine.

Not one of these people committed a crime, yet they were treated like criminals by people who are supposed to help them. There is a dangerous shortage of inpatient psychiatric beds for people who need urgent treatment, caused in large part by an outdated, discriminatory U.S. law known as the “IMD exclusion,” which prohibits Medicaid payment to any facility with more than 16 inpatient psychiatric beds.

People with brain diseases are not criminals, and jails are not a substitute for care. We support the Michelle Go Act, which would more than double the number of psychiatric inpatient beds a treatment facility can have to be eligible for Medicaid coverage. Read the story here: https://bit.ly/4dY58Ps. Read about the Michelle Go Act here: https://bit.ly/44THWO4

05/23/2024

We thank U.S. Reps. Daniel Goldman (D-NY), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) and Tony Cardenas (D-CA) for introducing the Michelle Alyssa Go Act, which would more than double the number of psychiatric inpatient beds a treatment facility can have to be eligible for Medicaid coverage. The bill addresses an outdated, discriminatory U.S. law known as the “IMD exclusion,” which prohibits Medicaid payment to any facility with more than 16 inpatient psychiatric beds. This dangerous law has resulted in many care facilities reducing or eliminating their psychiatric beds – leaving people with schizophrenia and other severe brain disorders with nowhere to go when they need urgent treatment. Read the press release, which quotes SPAN CEO Gordon Lavigne, here: https://bit.ly/44THWO4

05/17/2024

We’re thrilled to announce our launch! The Schizophrenia Policy Action Network (SPAN), a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization, will work to advance policies and legislation that shatter barriers to care for people living with schizophrenia. Created as an affiliated organization of the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance, SPAN will serve as a nationwide catalyst, bringing allied organizations together to power a movement for change and drive transformation at the federal, state and community levels. See our announcement here: https://bit.ly/3WG2wiO
and our new website here: https://span-scz.org/.

Alexandria, VA, May 16, 2024 – The new Schizophrenia Policy Action Network (SPAN) launched today as a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization that will work to advance policies and legislation that shatter barriers to care for people living with schizophrenia. Created as an affiliated organization of the ...