Patrick J. Kennedy will be among featured speakers at the National Council for Behavioral Health’s annual behavioral health conference, NatCon19, taking place March 25 – 27 at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee. Kennedy, former U.S. Representative (D-RI), lead sponsor of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, founder of The Kennedy Forum, former Rhode Island Congressman, and former member of the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, will deliver a keynote address entitled “An Urgent Matter of Access: Pursuing Parity Amid the Greatest Public Health Crisis of Our Time” as part of NatCon19’s “Thought Leaders” series Tuesday, March 26, 2019 from 10 – 11 a.m. Kennedy will also be awarded the National Council’s inaugural “Distinguished Service Award” at the NatCon19 Awards Celebration, held March 26, 2019, for his tireless advocacy on behalf of people of all ages living with mental illness and substance use disorder. According to its website, the event, a premier behavioral health conference, will host more than 5,000 attendees. It will also mark the 50th anniversary of the National Council for Behavioral Health. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/