Advocacy Initiatives

2026 ACNP Advocacy Efforts

Please see the current list of advocacy efforts in 2026.

2025 ACNP Advocacy Efforts

Please see the list of advocacy efforts in 2025. 

Becoming an Advocacy Affiliate of the ACNP

The ACNP encourages participation in College activities by members of organizations whose mission and purpose is primarily to:

• Advocate for improved treatment for people with brain, behavioral, and substance abuse disorders.
• Advocate for the elimination of stigma associated with those disorders.
• Provide assistance and support for people with brain, behavioral, and substance abuse disorders through referral services, self-help support groups, and other similar services.
• Who share a common commitment with the ACNP for the support of scientific research in neuropsychopharmacology and related fields.
• And who seek and use the advice of ACNP members on their scientific advisory boards.

An organization that meets the description above, and who wants to send representatives to the ACNP Annual Meeting, may send a statement to the ACNP Liaison Committee stating its request.  This letter may be sent to the ACNP Executive Office to acnp@acnp.org and the staff will see that the Liaison Committee is provided a copy for review. The letter must have a member recommendation.  The Liaison Committee will review the organization’s request, and may submit it to Council with a recommendation for approval or non-approval.

If recommended and approved by Council, that organization will then be allowed to send up to two representatives to the ACNP Annual Meeting.  Those organizations will also be invited to participate from time to time in joint projects with the ACNP that relate to the College’s public education efforts and to its efforts in support of research findings.

Public Information Efforts

The ACNP co-hosted an educational webinar with the American Brain Coalition, Psychedelics in Brain Health: From Promise to Practice, on December 2, 2025. Click here to view the recording.

The ACNP Public Information Committee selected the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus Briefing, “The Long-Haul Neurological and Psychological Impacts from COVID-19” and the Neuropsychopharmacology (NPP) article, “Choosing the appropriate language to reduce the stigma around mental illness and substance use disorders” as their annual focus of dissemination to the public in 2022.

ACNP Public Information Committee member, Dr. Suma Jacob asks ACNP Fellow, Dr. Olusola Ajilore about the link between racial discrimination, inflammation, and depression.

Addressing the Stigma of Psychiatric Disorders

Mental health and substance use disorders are the leading cause of disability worldwide, and the stigma and shame associated with mental health permeate all levels of society. The stigma around mental health and substance use disorders has had profound effects including preventing people from seeking treatment for these disorders, instilling shame among those who are affected and their family members and increasing the risk of suicide. Stigma has also contributed to an underfunded mental health system and inadequate services for persons with mental health and substance use disorders.

The committee interviewed selected ACNP members about their perspective on the stigma associated with several mental health conditions and issues, the progress that has been made in reducing stigma, and future actions which are needed. Read the interviews here.

Advocacy Efforts on the Hill

The ACNP Liaison Committee with Governmental Agencies and the Pharmaceutical Industry is involved in many different consumer organizations in the field of neuropsychopharmacology.

A brief introduction to ACNP was developed by the Liaison Committee in 2017. The introduction details the College, it’s mission and expertise of membership in psychiatry and pharmacology.

2026 Congressional Briefings

“Decoding Stigma: The Neural Science of Mental Health“
The American Brain Coalition, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, American Neurological Association, American Psychiatric Association, One Mind, Society for Neuroscience, The STARR Coalition, Bristol Myers Squibb, Neurocrine Biosciences, and Otsuka US,in cooperation with the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus, hosted a congressional briefing on February 4, 2026. Mental health disorders affect millions of Americans, yet stigma remains one of the most significant barriers to seeking care, accessing treatment, and achieving long-term recovery. This briefing will highlight current neuroscience research that explains how mental health conditions develop, how stigma influences health outcomes, and what evidence-based strategies can effectively reduce societal and self-stigma. Click here to watch the recording.

2025 Congressional Briefings

“Inventing the Future: Brain-Inspired Next-Generation Artificial Intelligence”
On September 10, 2025, the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus (CNC), in cooperation with the American Brain Coalition, American Academy of Neurology, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Simons Foundation, and Society for Neuroscience, hosted a virtual briefing to highlight how foundational neuroscience research informs the development of brain-inspired artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, how public-private partnerships can accelerate progress, and the potential of
next-generation AI to advance human health. Click here to watch the recording.

“Advancing Neuroscience for Americans: Breakthroughs in Addiction Research Enabled by the NIH BRAIN Initiative”
On May 7, 2025, the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus (CNC), in cooperation with the American Brain Coalition (ABC), American Academy of Neurology (AAN), American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), Dana Foundation, IEEE Brain, Simons Foundation, Society for Neuroscience (SfN), and The Kavli Foundation hosted a briefing to highlight how the NIH’s Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative continues to drive
groundbreaking discoveries across NIH institutes and reinforces the United States’ leadership in medical research. Click here to watch the recording.

“The Future of the BRAIN Initiative: Sustaining Global Leadership in Neuroscience Research After a Decade of Discovery”
On February 20, 2025, the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus (CNC), in cooperation with the American Brain Coalition (ABC), the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), and Society for Neuroscience (SfN), hosted a virtual briefing to highlight how the NIH’s Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative continues to revolutionize brain science and its profound impact on improving lives by discussing the current and future state of the program. Click here to watch the recording.

2024 Congressional Briefings

“10 Years of BRAIN Initiative Funding – Building on a Decade of Innovation”
On Wednesday, April 17, 2024, the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus (CNC), in cooperation with the American Brain Coalition (ABC), the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, the Dana Foundation, the Simons Foundation, the Society for Neuroscience, and The Kavli Foundation held a congressional briefing entitled 10 Years of BRAIN Initiative Funding – Building on a Decade of Innovation. Ted Abel, PhD, Director of the Iowa Neuroscience Institute at Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa, moderated the event. The panel featured a lineup of prominent speakers, including John Ngai, PhD, Director of the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative at the National Institutes of Health (NIH); Jon Nelson, a Mount Sinai BRAIN Study Participant and his partner and caregiver Barbara Nelson; Helen S. Mayberg, MD, BRAIN Principal Investigator and Professor of Neurotherapeutics at Mount Sinai; Christopher J. Rozell, PhD, BRAIN Initiative Principal Investigator and Chaired Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology; and Nanthia Suthana PhD, Associate Professor-in- Residence of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of California Los Angeles. The briefing commemorated ten years of groundbreaking advancements in neuroscience. Dr. Ngai opened with gratitude towards the event’s sponsors and the CNC and set the tone for a celebration of tangible examples of progress.

“New Year’s Resolutions are Healthy for your Brain!”
On Wednesday, February 14, 2024, the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus (CNC), in cooperation with the American Brain Coalition (ABC), American Academy of Neurology (AAN), American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), Center for BrainHealth, and the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) hosted a Congressional briefing on the intersection of brain health and New Year’s resolutions, in which experts talked about the benefits of increased exercise, sleep, nutrition, and emotional well being on brain health. The briefing was moderated by Max Goldman, Director of Congressional Affairs at AAN. The speakers included Bernadette Boden-Albala, MPH, DrPH, from the University of California at Irvine; Helen Lavretsky, MD, from the University of California at Los Angeles; Sandra Bond Chapman, PhD, from the University of Texas at Dallas; and Colonel Geoffrey Ling, MD, PhD, from the BrainHealth Project and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. The briefing commenced with greetings from Congressmen Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), co-chairs of the CNC, who expressed their support for the BRAIN Initiative, and their excitement for the CNC’s continued work in the new year.

For more information about our Liaison Committee, Advocacy Affiliates, or Projects, please contact ACNP.