Press Release: 12/3/2025
Healey-Driscoll Administration Celebrates Official Opening of the Office of Behavioral Health Promotion and Prevention
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
12/03/2025
MEDIA CONTACT
Olivia James, Deputy Communications Director
Phone
Call Olivia James, Deputy Communications Director at 617-549-9658
Online
Email Olivia James, Deputy Communications Director at olivia.james2@mass.gov
BOSTON — Yesterday, Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) Secretary Kiame Mahaniah, MD, MBA and Assistant Commissioner, Office of Behavioral Health Promotion & Prevention, Funmi Aguocha, PsyD were joined by members of the Massachusetts State Legislature, community partners, and staff from across EOHHS at the State House for a celebration of the new Office of Behavioral Health Promotion and Prevention.
The Office of Behavioral Health Promotion and Prevention (OBHPP) was established in June 2024. OBHPP is dedicated to creating and supporting positive population-level impacts via upstream behavioral health promotion and prevention initiatives.
Under Dr. Aguocha’s leadership, the office aims to promote behavioral health and wellness among Massachusetts residents. The Office is focused on statewide coordination and implementation of innovative, evidence-informed, data-driven, and trauma-informed strategies to advance the promotion of behavioral health and the prevention of mental health conditions, including substance use disorders. It aims to eliminate stigma, racial discrimination, and social inequities to strengthen residents’ overall quality of life.
“Massachusetts continues to find ways to make mental health care a priority and more accessible to our residents,” said Governor Maura Healey. “I’m grateful for the work of the Legislature and Secretary Mahaniah and his team to establish this new office, which will be able to assess current behavioral health work being done and provide services that promote mental health and wellness.”
“As we enter the holiday season, we know that it can be a difficult time for many people who struggle with their mental health,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “This campaign and the work of this office remind us that we are not alone and there are people who can help.”
“With this new office, we are taking bold, proactive action to protect the mental health of Massachusetts residents,” said Secretary Kiame Mahaniah. “While we are fortunate to have a number of ways to address acute mental illness in our state, today we’re providing a way for people to invest in their wellness before reaching that point with support and resources from this office. We are reimagining what mental health care looks like in Massachusetts, and I am grateful to the legislature and Dr. Aguocha for the positive impact I know this office will have moving forward.”
“I am looking forward to close collaboration with agencies across the state and the legislature to improve outcomes for everyone when it comes to addressing their mental health proactively,” said Dr. Aguocha. “With the launch of the office and the new campaign, we intend to let Massachusetts residents know that there are tools out there for people to use that can prevent more severe mental health outcomes, and we are here to help.”
"Standing up the Office of Behavioral Health Promotion and Prevention is a big step forward for Massachusetts,” said Senator Julian Cyr (D –Truro). “For years, behavioral health prevention and promotion has been a siloed afterthought in state government. Thanks to the stewardship of the Healey-Driscoll Administration, Secretary Mahaniah, and Senate President Karen Spilka, this office is now a reality. OBHPP will coordinate the work happening across the government so we're all pulling in the same direction, using evidence, data, and community partnerships to reach people before they're in crisis. On the Cape and Islands, where isolation, housing instability and challenges to access all affect behavioral health, this upstream focus is especially important."
"The opening of the new Office of Behavioral Health Promotion and Prevention is a milestone in the Commonwealth's record of proactive initiatives to protect and enhance the mental health of every Massachusetts resident,” said Representative Mindy Domb (D-Amherst), House Chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery. “I'm proud of the role the legislature played in establishing this office and I'm looking forward to working together to promote the wellbeing of all of our residents."
“The launch of the Office of Behavioral Health Promotion and Prevention does not just represent a new initiative but instead, it reflects a cultural shift in how Massachusetts values mental wellbeing,” said Senator Robyn Kennedy (D- First Worcester), Senate Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery. “By elevating upstream prevention and asking every resident ‘What’s on your mind?’ we are choosing connection over silence, support over stigma, and early care over crisis. This initiative is a reminder that mental health belongs to all of us, and that building a healthier Commonwealth begins with simple, human conversations that open the door to healing and hope.”
The event also highlighted OBHPP’s launch of the “What’s on Your Mind?” public awareness campaign. Live through January 2026, this is a multilingual, multimedia, and population level campaign promoting mental wellbeing and supporting upstream prevention across the Commonwealth. “What’s On Your Mind?” encourages residents to take simple, proactive steps to care for their mental wellbeing, reduce stigma, and connect with one another. Taking these steps to care for mental health proactively can reduce more acute crises later.
To learn more visit www.Mass.gov/whats-on-your-mind