Michael Gray
Principal
Michael is an advocate and team builder who has successfully lobbied for legislation and regulatory changes on behalf of clients and employers for over a decade. He is also a subject matter expert on several areas of healthcare policy.
Photo credit: Treatment Advocacy Center
He has advised and managed political campaigns in his native Kentucky, and guided legislators, organizations, and grassroots advocates through the legislative and regulatory processes in Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, Maine, and on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Prior to founding Tulipifera Strategies, Michael directed advocacy, policy, and political affairs at multiple organizations, including Treatment Advocacy Center (Arlington, VA) and NAMI Maryland, Inc., serving as deputy director of the latter.
Education
Juris Doctor, Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville
Master of Urban Planning, University of Louisville
B.A., History & Philosophy, University of Louisville
Photo credit: Hall Center for Law & Health, IU McKinney School of Law
Publications
Op Eds
"California should use federal money to solve its bed crisis," Sacramento Bee (2022)
"States need Congress' help repealing a law that hinders treatment for mental illness," The Hill (2022)
"A law hindering treatment for severe mental illness must be repealed," The Hill (2021)
"Mental healthcare could be casualty of political climate," Courier Journal (Louisville, KY) (2017)
"McConnell, legislature, can OK bills to improve mental health-care," Herald-Leader (Lexington, KY) (2016)
"Understanding, funding needed to fight mental illness," Courier Journal (2016)
"Preservation is key to Louisville's glory," with John "Hans" Gilderbloom, Courier Journal (2012)
Journals & Law Reviews
“Codified Disparity: The Medicaid IMD Exclusion, Mental Health Parity, and Congressional Intent,” 21 Ind. Health L. Rev. 227 (2024).
“Blatant Discrimination Within Federal Law: A 14th Amendment Analysis of Medicaid’s IMD Exclusion,” with Madeline Easdale, 18 U. Mass. L. Rev. 165 (2023).
“HIPAA, Telehealth, and the Treatment of Mental Illness in a post-COVID World,” 46 Okla. City U. L. Rev. 1 (2021).
“Race, Mental Illness, and Restorative Justice: An Intersectional Approach to More Inclusive Practices,” with Sabah H. Muhammad, 20 Seattle J. Soc. Just. 159 (2021).
“Untenable Space: The Dilemma of Black Families Caring for a Loved One with Severe Mental Illness and an argument for a Legislative Solution,” with Sabah H. Muhammad. 53 Texas Tech L. Rev. 575 (2021).
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