The Carter Center to Host Third Annual Mental Health Parity Day Feb. 3 at Georgia State Capitol

Event Spotlights New Resources for Consumers Navigating Access to Care and Employers Looking to Strengthen Parity for Employees

ATLANTA (Jan. 27, 2026) — The Carter Center will host Mental Health Parity Day Feb. 3 at the Georgia State Capitol to discuss how to advance implementation of the bipartisan Georgia Mental Health Parity Act of 2022. The act requires insurers to cover mental health care and substance use disorders the same way they cover physical health care in Georgia.

The Carter Center has convened a diverse group of mental health stakeholders, legislators, and leadership from several state agencies since the passage of the Georgia Mental Health Parity Act to discuss how to advance mental health and well-being policies in the state.

“Georgians have the right to access treatment for mental health care and substance use disorders — the same way they would, for example, receive medical treatment for a broken arm or diabetes — through insurance coverage,” said Dr. Kashef Ijaz, The Carter Center’s vice president for health programs. “The Carter Center continues to work with stakeholders to raise awareness about mental health parity and achieve full implementation of Georgia’s mental health parity law.”

Mental Health Parity Day will highlight ongoing challenges families face in accessing mental health and substance use disorder care and recent enforcement actions taken by the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance against insurance companies failing to meet parity requirements.

The Carter Center will share insights from its recent parity awareness campaign and outline upcoming engagement with business leaders to help ensure employer-sponsored health plans comply with parity standards — ultimately supporting a healthier, more resilient workforce.

The event will also introduce key resources available to Georgians addressing violations. Georgians for a Healthy Future will launch the Georgia Mental Health Parity Dashboard, a new public tool designed to track the state’s implementation of the Georgia Mental Health Parity Act. The dashboard will provide transparent, real-time monitoring of compliance using a straightforward stoplight indicator system to show where implementation is on track, where progress is mixed, and where critical gaps remain.

Mental Health Parity Day is open to the public and will be held on Feb. 3 from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Central Presbyterian Church, 201 Washington St. SW, Atlanta. The event is free, pre-registration is required, and breakfast will be provided.

The Carter Center will hold a press conference to discuss the urgent need for parity implementation from 12:30 to 1 p.m. inside the Georgia State Capitol at the South Capitol Steps.

Event Details:

Date & Time: Feb. 3, 2026
– Breakfast: 9:30 to 10 a.m.
– Programming: 10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
– Press Conference: 12:30 to 1 p.m.

Location:
– Event: Central Presbyterian Church, 201 Washington St. SW, Atlanta
– Press Conference: Georgia State Capitol, South Capitol Steps

Public Access:
The event is open to the public and free to attend, but advance registration is required.

Media Note:

RSVP to media@cartercenter.org by Feb. 2 at 5 p.m.

Speakers Include:

• Dr. Kashef Ijaz, Vice President, Health Programs, The Carter Center
• Dr. Neetu Abad, Director, Rosalynn Carter Center Mental Health and Caregiver Program*
• Josh Carter, Grandson of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter
• Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, Georgia House of Representatives, 84th District
• Rep. Kim Schofield, Georgia House of Representatives, 63rd District
• Sarah Phillips, Associate Director, Rosalynn Carter Mental Health and Caregiver Program
• John F. King, Commissioner, Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire*

*Speaking during the program at Central Presbyterian Church before the press conference

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Contact:media@cartercenter.org