In 2013, Close delivered an address at the White House urging passage of the Excellence in Mental-Health Act, which was written to expand treatment for the mentally ill and to provide access to mental-health services. The bill was signed into law by President Barack Obama in April 2014, and will provide $1.1 billion in funding to help strengthen the mental-health-care system in the US. She was awarded the WebMD Health Hero award in 2015 for her contributions to mental-health initiatives. On June 16, 2016, Close donated $75,000 to the Mental-Health Association of Central Florida in order to fund counseling and other assistance to victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting. She frequently promotes her charitable causes on her Instagram account.
