The Law
Passed in 1990, this civil rights law prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities, including mental health conditions.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
This type of anxiety experienced by athletes involves excessive worry about performance that can impair their ability to compete effectively.
Performance anxiety
This type of therapy, often used in treating PTSD, involves rhythmic eye movements and is thought to help process traumatic memories.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
During EMDR therapy, the patient focuses on a specific traumatic memory while simultaneously performing eye movements, such as following the therapist's finger or listening to alternating tones.
Bonus: What are some benefits of EMDR?
In 2022, the U.S. launched this 3-digit mental health crisis line, making it easier for people in crisis to access help.
988
This form of exception grants students extra time or accommodations on exams or assignments due to disabilities or health conditions.
a Reasonable Accommodation
This federal program funds training for law enforcement to better interact with individuals experiencing mental health crises.
Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Program
Massachusetts has established Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) programs within many police departments, supported by DMH (Department of Mental health)
Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) programs are designed to improve police response to mental health crises, help individuals with mental health and substance use conditions access behavioral health services rather than enter the criminal justice system, and promote safety for the individual and police officer.
This Olympic gymnast publicly shared her battle with depression and anxiety, raising awareness about athlete mental health.
Simone Biles
2020 Tokyo Olympics
This type of non-invasive brain stimulation is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression and uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
TMS is primarily used to treat:
Major depressive disorder (MDD), Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Migraine headaches, and Smoking cessation.
This process aims to regulate mood and improve brain network function in individuals with conditions like depression. The magnetic field passes through the skull, activating specific neurons and promoting changes in brain circuitry to alleviate symptoms.
This text-based crisis service provides 24/7 support from trained crisis counselors in the U.S. All accessible by texting HOME to 741741.
Crisis Text Line
This state program helps eligible Massachusetts residents pay for home heating and fuel costs during the winter.
Home Energy Assistance Programs (HEAP)
Known commonly as Fuel Assistance
The program determines benefit levels based on household income, size, and energy costs, and makes payments directly to your heating company.
Required Documents: You will need to provide identification, a list of household members, proof of income, and information about your heating bills and housing situation Apply: You can apply online or in person through a network of local service providers.
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/learn-about-home-energy-assistance-heap
This 1946 law led to the creation of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in the United States
National Mental Health Act
This led to:
-a new form of diagnosis and treatment was created to better help those facing mental health problems.
-It was discovered during this time that mental health patients benefited more from evaluation and treatment rather than being institutionalized.
-The act redirected financing from the state level to a national level and placed the NIMH as a leader for further research and analysis on the brain and psychiatric disorders.
Repeated concussions in contact sports have been linked to this neurodegenerative disease characterized by mood changes, memory loss, and cognitive decline.
chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)
This rapid-acting antidepressant, originally an anesthetic, is increasingly used off-label for treatment-resistant depression and works primarily by blocking NMDA receptors.
Ketamine
A prescription version of ketamine called esketamine (Spravato), given through a nasal spray, was approved in 2019 by the FDA for hard-to-treat depression.
This organization, known for its focus on youth mental health and suicide prevention, operates The Trevor Project Lifeline, specifically for LGBTQ+ individuals.
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ+ young people. They provide information & support to LGBTQ+ young people 24/7, all year round.
Crisis services, peer support, advocacy, education.
Text: send 'START' to 678-678
Call: 1-866-488-7386
Low-income individuals in Boston can access reduced public transportation fares through this program.
MBTA Income-Eligible Reduced Fare
Income-eligible CharlieCards can be loaded with:
Your card can also be used to purchase reduced one-way fares and monthly passes for Commuter Rail, Ferry, and Express Bus.
You may qualify for an income-eligible reduced fares card if you:
Passed in 2008, this U.S. federal law requires insurance companies to provide equal coverage for mental and physical health conditions.
Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA)
-This law aimed to prevent commercial health plans that provide mental health or substance use disorder benefits from placing limits on those benefits that are less favorable than the limits placed on medical/surgical benefits.
This professional football player’s 2011 death, linked to CTE and depression, brought national attention to mental health risks in contact sports.
Junior Seau
died by suicide in May 2012. The 43-year-old's death was later found to be associated with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma in football players, which can cause symptoms like depression, memory loss, and mood swings.
This psychological theory, dominant in the early 20th century, emphasized unconscious drives, conflicts and patterns and was pioneered by Sigmund Freud.
Psychoanalysis
This nonprofit offers education, support, and advocacy for families and individuals affected by mental illness, and operates the “Family-to-Family” program
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
Reach out to our Compass Helpline! Compass is available Monday through Friday, 10 am to 6 pm. Call us at 617-704-6264, email us at compass@namimass.org, or schedule a call with us.
-NAMI Connection is a free support group for people living with a mental health condition.
specialty groups- for women of color, for people who are dealing with dual diagnosis, for members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Family support groups
This Massachusetts department provides adult services to eligible individuals with severe and persistent mental illness, including case management, crisis stabilization, and community-based supports.
The Department of Mental Health
DMH services are provided to adults with a serious mental illness and children and youth with serious emotional disturbance.
In 1963, this U.S. President signed the Community Mental Health Act, marking a shift toward deinstitutionalization and outpatient care.
John F. Kennedy
The CMHA aimed to:
Provide federal funding for the construction and operation of community mental health centers
Deinstitutionalize individuals with mental illness
Improve access to mental health services for individuals and families in their communities
Promote research into the causes and treatment of mental illness
*led to a significant decline in the number of people hospitalized for mental illness and a shift towards community-based care.*
This mental health challenge, often overlooked in athletes post-injury, involves fear of returning to sport due to anxiety about re-injury.
Kinesiophobia
excessive fear of movement that can lead to avoidance of physical activity, ultimately causing deconditioning, increased pain, and disability through a vicious cycle of fear
This emerging treatment for depression and PTSD involves therapist-guided sessions using substances like MDMA or psilocybin under controlled conditions.
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy
Not currently legal in Massachusetts.
Oregon's voters approved a ballot measure in 2020 to legalize supervised adult use of psilocybin, and the state has a regulated framework for psilocybin services.
Colorado followed, with state regulators issuing the first licenses for assisted medical use of psychedelics in 2025.
New Mexico signed a bill in April 2025 to create its own state-regulated psilocybin program.
This federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services leads public health efforts to improve behavioral health and reduce substance abuse.
SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
Founded in 1992.
Meant to help consolidate treatment functions: Before 1992, treatment services were scattered across different institutes within ADAMHA, including the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
SAMHSA Treatment Locator can help locate low-cost or sliding-scale mental health treatment by ZIP code.