CMAP Nexus Series 2025
About
CMAP's Nexus event series convenes top experts to tackle today’s most urgent policy challenges surrounding mental health and substance use disorders. Through these gatherings, CMAP provides decisionmakers from local, state, and federal levels with a collaborative space for discussing and advancing solutions to these critical issues. Learn more about the Johns Hopkins Nexus Awards here.
The Nexus series is held at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center, 555 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, D.C., offering a prime setting for meaningful and impactful discussions.
The 2025 Nexus Series, titled Advancing Mental Health & Addiction Policy Solutions in 2025, will feature three events, each exploring a distinct sub-topic. Continue reading for details on these events and their focus areas.
A Mental Health in All Policies Agenda for the New Administration
The first event in this series, A Mental Health in All Policies Agenda for the New Administration, brought together a panel of leaders from government, foundations, and academia to discuss economic empowerment as a pillar of mental health in all policies agenda that can guide the next administration. Mental health challenges are not only common but carry significant costs, both financially and socially. These issues transcend party lines, presenting a unique opportunity for the new administration to prioritize mental health in public conversation and in policymaking.
Faculty lead: Catherine Ettman, PhD
Developing a Better System of Care for Nonfatal Overdose
The second event in this series, Developing a Better System of Care for Nonfatal Overdose, gathered experts in public health, addiction medicine, and policy to examine innovative approaches to overdose care that prioritize sustained engagement and support for individuals at risk of repeat overdose. Panelists explored various models, from stabilization centers to supervised consumption sites and outreach teams, sharing insights on the key components and adoption challenges of these alternative approaches.
Faculty leads: Brendan Saloner, PhD, Alene Kennedy-Hendricks, PhD, and Sachini Bandara, PhD, MS
Suicide Prevention in U.S. Jails: A Public Mental Health and Corrections Collaboration
The third event in this series, Suicide Prevention in U.S. Jails, gathered experts in mental health, corrections, and policy to examine the current state of suicide prevention in jails and explore innovative solutions. Panelists discussed current efforts in Maryland and beyond, focusing on the design and implementation of effective suicide prevention protocols and what more can be done to save lives.
Faculty leads: Olivia Sugarman, PhD, MPH, and Paul Nestadt, MD