National Council for Behavioral Health Recognizes Lauri Cole for Advocacy Excellence
Washington, D.C. (June 22, 2020) — The National Council for Behavioral Health will recognize Lauri Cole, MSW, for her extraordinary advocacy work during Hill Day at Home, the organization’s annual advocacy event to promote bipartisan solutions for behavioral health providers and patients.
The 2020 Advocacy Leadership Awards, supported by Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., recognizes individuals and organizations that have supported public policy initiatives to improve behavioral health care treatment and services through statewide advocacy.
“National Council members understand the value of advocacy to promote the important work of providers in their states. This year’s Advocacy Leadership Award winners have worked tirelessly under difficult circumstance as community behavioral health organizations cope with a pandemic to relentlessly pursue bipartisan solutions to help those providers and the clients who depend on them for life-saving services,” National Council for Behavioral Health President and CEO Chuck Ingoglia said. “Because of their work, communities throughout their states are healthier and safer.”
As executive director of the New York State Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, Lauri led efforts to establish rates that managed care organizations (MCOs) are required to pay to providers. Among her many achievements, setting a consistent government rate that approximated the cost of care and was required to be paid by each MCO was a remarkable change.
“Our work is about partnering with people and supporting them as they change their lives. The ability to shape public policy, to increase funding, and to stabilize our organizations and the individuals we serve is the most important work I’ve done. I share this award with everyone I’ve partnered with, every organization that stands with the NYS Council and every person whose life is better because of the work we do,” said Lauri, winner of the Individual Achievement in Advocacy Award.
The National Council will honor its 2020 Advocacy Leadership Award winners at a reception during Hill Day at Home on Tuesday, June 23.
Learn more about the 2020 Advocacy Leadership Award program.
About the National Council for Behavioral Health
The National Council for Behavioral Health is the unifying voice of America’s health care organizations that deliver mental health and addictions treatment and services. Together with our 3,326 member organizations serving over 10 million adults, children and families living with mental illnesses and addictions, the National Council is committed to all Americans having access to comprehensive, high-quality care that affords every opportunity for recovery. The National Council introduced Mental Health First Aid USA and more than 2 million Americans have been trained.
About the NYS Council for Community Behavioral Health
The NYS Council is a statewide non-profit membership association representing the interests of 100 organizations that provide mental health and substance use disorder/addiction prevention, treatment and recovery services to tens of thousands of New Yorkers each day. Our members include free standing community-based agencies, general hospitals, and counties that operate direct services.
