NSSC launches a 3-part reform plan to improve care for 22M Americans with severe mental illness, expand state networks, & promote early intervention & recovery.
BOSTON, MA, UNITED STATES, February 25, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The National Shattering Silence Coalition (NSSC) announced today its “Blueprint for Reform,” a three-part strategic plan to address gaps in medical care and policy for the 22 million Americans living with severe mental illness (SMI). Alongside this launch, NSSC has expanded its grassroots leadership network to 28 states, signaling a massive surge in the movement to treat SMI as a biological brain disease rather than a behavioral failure.
Led by Executive Director Ann Corcoran, RN, MSN, the coalition is formalizing its operations and has filed for federal 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Membership has grown 231% since 2022, now comprising 925 dedicated advocates and family members on the front lines of the SMI crisis.
The Blueprint’s first initiative focuses on legislation. NSSC’s “50-State Blueprint” aims to modernize state mental health laws. Through its growing network of state policy directors, NSSC is pushing for a unified system that prioritizes medical necessity over “dangerousness” standards. This initiative seeks to eliminate the administrative barriers that currently lead to the “triple tragedy” of homelessness, incarceration, and premature death.
The second initiative is a short documentary, “Beyond Stigma,” produced in partnership with AwareNow Media. The film is currently in the fundraising stage and is intended to show policymakers the human consequences of untreated severe mental illness—and the transformative potential when appropriate treatment is provided, including real stories of recovery.
A public messaging campaign is the third initiative: “Treatment Saves. Neglect Costs.” This campaign will document the economic and human toll of the current “fail-first” mental health system. It aims to shift the narrative by proving that proactive medical care is not only more humane but significantly more cost-effective than the current cycle of emergency room visits and jail beds.
“Our vision of a compassionate continuum of care is no longer just an ideal—it is a strategic mandate,” said Ann Corcoran, RN, MSN. “We are building the infrastructure to ensure that every individual with severe mental illness, no-fault brain diseases, receives the right care at the right time, every time.”
Families of those with SMI often face a system that only responds once a situation has turned into a tragedy. “When treatment is delayed, families are left navigating crisis after crisis with sometimes dire results,” said Laura Craciun, an NSSC member and parent. “We need policies that make immediate medical care the default, not the exception.”
The coalition’s 2025 Social Impact Report, titled “Waves of Change,” reported a 280% increase in donations used to fund caregiver guides and support networks. The organization is seeking corporate sponsors and philanthropic partners for both the documentary and the “Treatment Saves” awareness campaign.
About the National Shattering Silence Coalition
The National Shattering Silence Coalition is a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to the 22 million Americans living with severe mental illness. The organization works to replace cycles of incarceration and homelessness with evidence-based medical care, focusing on treating neurobiological brain diseases with the dignity and urgency they deserve.
For more information or to support the “Blueprint for Reform,” visit https://www.nationalshatteringsilencecoalition.org/.
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Ann Corcoran RN, MSN
National Shattering Silence Coalition
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