Healthsperien Announces the Launch of Action for Progress and Invest for Progress to Drive Behavioral Health Transformation

As the United States continues to face a growing mental health and substance use crisis, Healthsperien is proud to announce the launch of two major initiatives—Action for Progress and Invest for Progress—to accelerate solutions, elevate best practices, and advance meaningful, system-wide reform.

Both efforts are led by Healthsperien’s newly formed Center for Behavioral Health, which will be headed by former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, one of the nation’s most influential mental health advocates. The Center will serve as a strategic hub for innovation, policy development, and investment focused on transforming behavioral health care to meet the moment—and the future.

“We are building from the successful consensus convenings of Alignment for Progress to launch these two additional tools for system transformation,” said Patrick J. Kennedy. “At the Center, we’re not just advocating for change—we’re building the infrastructure to make it real. These initiatives empower us to move from vision to momentum, with people-centered innovation at the core.”

Action for Progress: Turning Policy Into Impact

Action for Progress is a 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) initiative focused on uniting leaders across sectors to develop and implement evidence-based policy solutions. It is grounded in strategic collaboration and guided by a shared commitment to equity, access, and quality care.

The initiative prioritizes five core areas to drive change:

• Payment
  Advance payment structures that support the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective care that reduce overall costs but are not widely adopted.
• Quality Outcomes
  Drive consensus on the definition and measurement of quality and outcomes in behavioral health.
• Workforce
  Develop a pipeline and supports for behavioral health workers, including important specialties like pediatric or SUD specialists, community health workers, and peer support specialists.
• Data Infrastructure
  Improve data sharing between physical, behavioral, and social health systems to promote whole-person, integrated care and value-based reimbursement.
• Access to Evidence-Based Care
  Promote the wide-spread adoption of novel innovations, evidence-based treatments, and preventive services that improve outcomes for priority populations.

By aligning policy with purpose, Action for Progress transforms urgency into sustainable impact for individuals, families, and communities.
The initiative is led by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness (ABHW), the American Benefits Council (ABC), the American Psychological Association (APA), the ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC), Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute (MMHPI), Mental Health America (MHA), the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, the National Association for Behavioral Health (NABH), the Public Sector HealthCare Roundtable (PSHR), and other key partners such as Dr. Arif Kamal, Chief Patient Officer at the American Cancer Society.

Invest for Progress: Enabling the Future of Care

Invest for Progress is a forward-thinking initiative that mobilizes capital, both public and private, to scale high-impact, equitable behavioral health solutions. It bridges the gap between innovation and implementation, ensuring that promising models don’t just exist on paper but thrive in practice.

The initiative is built around three strategic pillars:

• Scaling Innovation: Connecting capital with solutions that are evidence-based and person-centered.
• Payment Design Work Groups: Bringing together experts to develop payment models that support mental health outcomes.
• Next Stage Acceleration Lab: Launching regional pilots and demonstration projects that test and scale transformative care models.

Together, these components create a powerful engine for change, accelerating the pace at which innovation reaches those who need it most.
This work is led by the founding cohort of investors: Cressey & Company, Blue Ash Ventures, Blue Venture Fund, City Light, Chicago Pacific Founders, GreyMatter Capital, Hopelab, Seae Ventures, Starting Line VC, as well as support for model incubation from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

“The launch of these initiatives marks a new chapter in our mission to create real, lasting change by addressing one of the nation’s most prominent chronic illnesses,” said Tom Koutsoumpas, Founder and President of Healthsperien. “We are harnessing strategy, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration to deliver on the promise of transformation. By leveraging our successes in the advanced illness and hospice care, we’re building a proven playbook tailored to accelerate behavioral health reform.”

Join Us

Healthsperien invites partners, payers, policymakers, providers, investors, and advocates to engage with us as we advance these initiatives. Whether you’re driving innovation, shaping policy, or investing in solutions, there is a role for you in this transformative work.

Learn more about the Center for Behavioral Health and how to get involved:
https://healthsperien.com/center-for-behavioral-health

Read the Press Release: 
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/healthsperiens-center-for-behavioral-health-led-by-former-congressman-patrick-j-kennedy-launches-transformational-initiatives-302492627.html?tc=eml_cleartime 

Let’s work together to build a behavioral health system rooted in equity, dignity, and results—for everyone.