Inclusivity co-leader Eve Hill stepped into her role as Policy and Legislative Counsel to the State Exchange on Employment and Disability on September 20, 2023, to moderate the panel “Advancing Inclusive Mental Health Policies in the Workplace,” hosted by the National League of Cities.
As panel moderator, Eve led a conversation with councilmember Adriana Rocha Garcia from San Antonio, Texas and Mayor Tito Brown from Youngstown, Ohio, discussing strategies to ensure that employers’ mental health policies are fully inclusive.
“It was great to speak with Councilmember Rocha Garcia and Mayor Brown about the ways they implement inclusive mental health policies in the workplace,” Eve said. “As community leaders, they are a great example of the importance for leaders – elected or otherwise – in every city to implement policies to support vulnerable populations, so everyone has a chance to succeed.”
As many cities face challenges in connecting people with mental health conditions with the support they need, cities are aiming for solutions by adopting a range of work-related mental health policies, plans and practices, as well as enforcement and implementation strategies to address these challenges.Another barrier these new policies, plan and practices hope to tackle ensuring that there are enough well-trained behavioral health providers in all communities to meet the growing demand for services and treatment.
During the panel discussion, Eve explored some of the inclusive policy options from SEED’s Mental Health Matters National Task Force on Workforce Mental Health Policy. Councilmember Rocha Garcia and Mayor Brown also shared some of the solutions they have adopted surrounding mental health in the workplace, including policies that bolster the behavioral health workforce.
SEED is a program funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). It is a unique federal-state-local collaboration that supports state and local governments in adopting and implementing inclusive policies and best practices that lead to increased employment opportunities for people with disabilities – and a stronger, more inclusive workforce and economy.
The National League of Cities is an advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. whose mission is to advocate for, and protect the interests of, cities, towns and villages by influencing federal policy, strengthening local leadership and driving innovative solutions.
ABOUT EVE HILL
Eve Hill is one of the nation’s leading civil rights lawyers, known especially for her work with clients with disabilities and LGBTQ+ clients. She has been recognized by Law360 as one of just 12 “Titans of the Plaintiffs’ Bar” for 2023, as well as by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Lawyers in America (2022 and 2023). Her wide-ranging experience complements Brown, Goldstein & Levy’s decades of dedication to high-impact disability rights cases and its advocacy on behalf of individuals with disabilities and their families. Eve also leads Inclusivity, Brown, Goldstein & Levy’s Strategic Consulting Group, which works with organizations to promote the education, engagement, and employment of people with disabilities.
Learn more about Eve Hill here.
Founded in 1982, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a law firm based in Baltimore, Maryland, with an office in Washington, D.C. The firm is nationally recognized in a wide variety of practice areas, including complex civil and commercial litigation, civil rights, health care, family law, and criminal defense. Above all else, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a client-centered law firm that brings decades of experience and passionate, effective advocacy to your fight for justice.