Research · Methodology
Methodology
What we collect
For each U.S. state and the District of Columbia, we record five access signals: the state mental-health agency, the state NAMI chapter, the state Medicaid behavioral-health program, crisis line(s), and low-cost care options.
Sources
- State mental-health agency websites (the official state department of mental health).
- NAMI national + state chapter directories.
- SAMHSA (national helpline and behavioral-health resources).
- Medicaid.gov and state Medicaid agency pages for behavioral-health coverage.
- The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
How a state is verified
A state is marked verified only after each linked resource is opened and confirmed to be current and correct. Until then it is flagged unverified and the study is shown as a preview. Current status: 0 of 51 states verified.
Refresh cadence
Each state carries a recheck date; the earliest in the current dataset is 2026-09-23. The synthesized annual report is refreshed yearly. Every record is date-stamped.
Limitations
- Coverage signals describe whether a resource exists and is listed, not the quality, capacity, or wait time of care — those require separate measurement.
- Public sources change; figures reflect the last verified date shown on the study.
- This dataset is educational and is not medical, legal, or eligibility advice.
Corrections
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