CHICAGO, IL – Trilogy, a Chicago-based nonprofit behavioral and mental health care organization that supports people to move toward recovery from mental illness, will present former Congressman and founder of The Kennedy Forum, Patrick J. Kennedy, with its Partner in Recovery Award on October 21 as a part of its 50th Anniversary Gala.

The Partner in Recovery Award is given to those who have supported the work of Trilogy by advancing public understanding of mental health issues, advocated for resources to support mental health, or worked to reduce stigma around mental illness.

“Patrick Kennedy embodies the ideas that are central to the Partner in Recovery Award,” said Samantha Handley, LCPC, CSADC, President and CEO of Trilogy. “For years, he has been at the vanguard of advocacy for mental health. His leadership on the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, or Federal Parity Law, helped to safeguard the rights of some of our community’s most vulnerable residents in truly meaningful ways.”

During his time in Congress, Patrick J. Kennedy was the lead author of the landmark Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (Federal Parity Law), which requires insurers to cover treatment for mental health and substance use disorders no more restrictively than treatment for illnesses of the body, such as diabetes and cancer. In 2013, he founded The Kennedy Forum, a nonprofit that unites advocates, business leaders, and government agencies to advance evidence-based practices, policies, and programming in mental health and addiction. In 2015, Kennedy co-authored the New York Times Bestseller, “A Common Struggle: A Personal Journey Through the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction,” which details a bold plan for the future of mental health care in America. In 2017, he was appointed to the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.

Kennedy is also the founder of DontDenyMe.org, an educational campaign that empowers consumers and providers to understand parity rights and connects them to essential appeals guidance and resources; co-founder of One Mind, an organization that pushes for greater global investment in brain research; co-chair of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s Mental Health & Suicide Prevention National Response to COVID-19 (National Response); and co-chair of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Behavioral Health Integration Task Force.

“As Trilogy celebrates 50 years of service, we acknowledge that the work we do is made possible in large part thanks to others who are assertively advocating for the types of services we provide, both at the local and national level,” said Aimee Feuser, Trilogy’s Board Chair. “Trilogy is honored to present the Partner in Recovery Award to Former Congressman Kennedy in honor of his significant dedication and commitment to advancing the rights of individuals who live with mental illness and substance use issues.”

“To be recognized by an organization like Trilogy, which represents the very heart and soul of recovery in this nation, is a great honor for me,” said Rep. Kennedy. “I can’t wait to see what the future holds as we continue to fight, hand-in-hand, for mental health equity.”

Trilogy’s 50th Anniversary Gala, a celebration of the organization’s successes and the lives changed through its array of programs and services, is Thursday, October 21, 2021 at 6PM CST. More info, sponsorships and tickets here.