Hi everyone! My name is James O'Dowd, and I’m raising money for a cause that means a lot to me.

I am the Executive Director of LuHu Brain Illness Gateway Group, a non-for-profit working hard to breath life into the ideal of affordable mental health treatment. Mental Health Parity battles have been hard fought by many amazing folks over the years and PROTECTIONS have actually been LEGALLY ENACTED. For me and you, this should mean mental illness treatment is covered by insurance providers in a parallel manner as all other medical conditions. Unfortunately, we ALL know this is NOT the case.

To give Mental Health Parity protections the power they deserve, LuHU Brain Illness Gateway Group is working to make real progress towards the following goals (i) to provide general information and guidance regarding what prevents Mental Health Parity (bringing the realities into the light), (ii) to create sustainable systems for offering individualized, informed support for those trying to obtain reimbursement for mental health treatment, (iii) to design and implement a pathway to collect, identify, and analyze insurance reimbursement avoidance methods and techniques, (iv) to establish Mental Health Parity educational offerings for current providers regarding ways to inform and support patients with reimbursement efforts, (v) to determine and undertake the most efficient ways forward in supporting providers and patients struggling with documentation requirements that can delay and prevent treatment reimbursement, (vi) to grow Mental Health Parity educational training, with an aim towards educational requirements, at the collegiate, PhD and MD levels of relevant studies, and (vii) to instigate and encourage the gathering and sharing of information regarding Mental Health Parity challenges to assist with furthering legislative enhancements. You and I and everyone who is affected by mental health struggles deserves to see Mental Health Parity have real meaning in our lifetime.

Every contribution, big or small, makes a real impact. Even just a few dollars can help move this mental health affordability mission forward.

If you can’t donate right now, please sharing this fundraising request. It is so incredibly effective and meaningful to have people share messages that matter to them. Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity.