We have much more work to do to support a workforce in need of resources. We cannot be mentally well and actively thriving if we are unable to access services and support to navigate a mental health or substance use challenge. We have much more work to do to make mental wellbeing, including recovery from substance use challenges, a reality for everyone. But that legislation shouldn’t be the final measure Congress passes this year to address the substance use and mental health crisis. Earlier this year, passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act demonstrated that they grasp the scope of our nation’s mental health crisis. Hospital emergency room visits spiked for suspected suicide attempts among girls ages 12 to 17, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A survey released in May revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken an especially high toll on youth mental health with seven in 10 public schools reporting a rise in the number of children seeking services, according to The Washington Post. According to, about 20% of American adults experienced a mental health issue in 2020 and nearly one in 20 Americans live with a severe mental illness. The overdose crisis has claimed more than 107,000 lives in the past year. The substance use and mental health care workforce is in dire need of support. We’ve even provided sample language.ĭemand for substance use and mental health treatment and services has reached historically high levels at the same time our diminished workforce has reached a breaking point. We’ve made it easy for you to send a message to Congress through the National Council website. But our window of opportunity is closing fast, and we must take action and reach out to our members of Congress. The clock may be ticking on the lame duck session of Congress, but we still have a chance to build on this year’s mental health and substance use-focused legislative successes before the year ends. Now is the time to let lawmakers know how important it is to authorize programs to help their constituents and the organizations providing treatment and services by including funding for mental health and substance use programs in the year-end legislative package. The last few days of the current session of the 117 th Congress provide opportunities to help people living with substance use and mental health challenges and support the organizations and care providers on the frontlines of the mental health and substance use crisis.īut we must act now, while negotiations over an omnibus budget deal are still in play.
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