NAMI Ask the Expert: People, Place and Purpose: A Vision for the Failing Mental Health System OD042

An on-demand video and transcript of the presentation are available here [opens in new tab].

About The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. They are an alliance of more than 650 local Affiliates and 49 State organizations who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education to people with mental illness and their loved ones. Through awareness, advocacy and education, NAMI is committed to building stronger communities and a better future for everyone affected by mental illness.

Course Summary

Practice Level: Beginner

This course, based on the Ask the Expert webinar series by NAMI, presents a systems-focused framework for addressing gaps in U.S. mental health outcomes by distinguishing between “mental health” and “mental healthcare” and emphasizing recovery-oriented goals. Using the “people, place, and purpose” model, the instructor examines how engagement, peer/community supports, and meaningful roles are critical complements to clinical services and medication-based care. The training also reviews pragmatic service-delivery innovations—such as non-law-enforcement crisis response models aligned with 988—that aim to reduce avoidable emergency department use, incarceration, and unmet need. Learners are guided to consider how policy, financing, and accountability mechanisms can support scalable, evidence-informed systems change.

The course, with an intended audience of social workers, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and counselors, equips behavioral health professionals to integrate recovery-oriented, evidence-informed system design into clinical, program, and advocacy roles across settings.

Course Format

This course contains a participant guide, practice test, and on-demand video. When you’re ready, purchase the course by clicking the “Add To Cart” or “Enroll” button. This will let you take the test, complete the course evaluation and receive your certificate for CE credits.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify the core “people, place, and purpose” components of a recovery-oriented mental health framework.
2. Describe how crisis continuum models aligned with 988 can reduce reliance on law enforcement and emergency departments during behavioral health emergencies.
3. Explain how engagement strategies can increase participation in care and support sustained recovery.

Course Syllabus

• Reframing the Problem: Mental Health vs. Mental Healthcare and the Engagement Gap
• Recovery Orientation and the “People, Place, Purpose” Model
• Crisis System Redesign: 988, Mobile Response, and Non-Carceral Alternatives
• Scaling What Works: Peer Support, Technology, Parity, and Financing Levers 

Current References

Forand, N. R., Nettiksimmons, J., Brownell, A., Anton, M. T., Truxson, R., Green, B., & Marshall, C. (2025). The impact of measurement based care at scale: Examining the effects of implementation on patient outcomes and provider behaviors. Frontiers in Health Services, 5, Article 1659238.https://doi.org/10.3389/frhs.2025.1659238[opens in new tab]

Health Resources and Services Administration. (2025). State of the behavioral health workforce, 2025. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. (2025). GBD results.https://www.healthdata.org/data-tools-practices/interactive-visuals/gbd-results[opens in new tab]

Insel, T. R. (2022). Healing: Our path from mental illness to mental health. Penguin Press.

Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., & Williams, J. B. W. (2001). The PHQ-9: Validity of a brief depression severity measure. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 16(9), 606–613.https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x[opens in new tab]

Peters, R. L., Fine, J., Newton, H., Dalack, G. W., Watson, A., & Hassmiller Lich, K. (2026). Mobile crisis effectiveness: A systematic review and associated functions and forms framework. BMC Health Services Research, 26, Article 60. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-13806-2[opens in new tab] 

Purtle, J., Mauri, A. I., Bandara, S., Stuart, E. A., et al. (2025). Use of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at national, regional, and state levels. JAMA Network Open, 8(6), e2514323. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.14323[opens in new tab]

Rodríguez Pulido, F. R., Oramas Pérez, D., Hernández Hernández, G., González Dávila, E., & Caballero-Estebaranz, N. (2025). A randomised controlled trial of IPS in severe mental disorders: Mental health, functional, and vocational outcomes in a high-unemployment setting. International Journal of Public Health, 70, 1608796. https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2025.1608796[opens in new tab] 

Spitzer, R. L., Kroenke, K., Williams, J. B. W., & Löwe, B. (2006). A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: The GAD-7. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166(10), 1092–1097.https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092[opens in new tab] 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2020). National guidelines for behavioral health crisis care: A best practice toolkit. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

U.S. Congress. (2008). Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, H.R. 6983, 110th Cong.

Instructors

Tom lnsel, MD

Tom lnsel, MD, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, has been a national leader in mental health research, policy and technology. From 2002–2015, Dr. Insel served as Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). More recently, he led the Mental Health Team at Verily (2015–2017); co-founded Mindstrong Health (2017–2019), a start-up building tools for people with serious mental illness; and served as a special advisor to California Governor Gavin Newsom (2019), helping on behavioral health issues.

In 2020, he co-founded Humanest Care, a therapeutic online community for recovery. He currently serves on the boards of Foundation for NIH, Fountain House, Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and the Steinberg Institute (Chair, 2019–2022), as well as being an advisor to several mental health start-ups (including Alto Neuroscience, Compass Pathways, Owl Insights, Koa Health, Valera Health).

He is the author of “Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health” (Penguin Random House, 2022). With journalist co-founders, he recently launched MindSite News, a non-profit digital publication focused on mental health issues. Dr. Insel is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and has received numerous national and international awards, including honorary degrees in the U.S. and Europe.

Nicole Errickson, LCSW

Nicole is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Georgia. She brings over 19 years experience in the social work field, primarily working in school systems as a school social worker and with the McKinney-Vento grant. Over her career, Nicole has had several opportunities to help develop and execute professional development events. Nicole has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of South Alabama and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama.

Accreditation Approval Statements

CE4Less.com is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CE4Less.com maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

CE4Less.com, provider #1115, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 8/8/24-8/8/27.

Social workers completing this course receive 1 general continuing education credits.

We are committed to providing our learners with unbiased information. CE4Less never accepts commercial support and our authors have no significant financial or other conflicts of interest pertaining to the material.