Patrick J. Kennedy
Politician · Advocate
Patrick J. Kennedy is a former U.S. congressman who represented Rhode Island for 16 years. He became a leading voice on mental health policy in Congress and was the lead sponsor of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, which required many health plans to cover mental health and substance-use treatment no more restrictively than physical health care. [1]
Last updated
Career and work
Kennedy represented Rhode Island’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives for eight terms, serving from 1995 to 2011. During his 16 years in Congress, much of his legislative work focused on mental health, addiction and neurological disorders. [1]
After leaving Congress, Kennedy continued working on mental-health policy and parity enforcement. In 2024, he joined Healthsperien to lead a national mental health and addiction policy practice. [1]
What has been publicly discussed
“You are winning because you’re maintaining your recovery.”
— Patrick J. Kennedy [10]
