Pfluger, Padilla lead bill to address youth mental health crisis
Feb. 28—WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of World Teen Mental Wellness Day and in response to the growing mental health crisis in America, U.S. Representatives August Pfluger (TX-11), Kim Schrier (WA-08), John Joyce (PA-13), and Kathy Castor (FL-14), along with U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to combat the growing youth mental health crisis in America. The Early Action and Responsiveness Lifts Youth (EARLY) Minds Act would provide early intervention and prevention services to children and adults struggling with mental health challenges.
The data is clear: More work needs to be done to protect children's mental health. Over the past few decades, mental health disorders have steadily risen among children and adolescents, with nearly half of adolescents in the United States facing a mental health disorder at some point in their lives. Nearly 20 percent of children ages 3-17 in the United States have a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder. More than 40 percent of teens — including 57 percent of teenage girls — reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Research shows that intervening early with people who are experiencing mental health challenges can help prevent those challenges from turning more serious and becoming more costly to treat while leading to improvements in symptoms, relationships, quality of life, and engagement with schoolwork, a news release said.
The EARLY Minds Act seeks to empower states by allowing them to allocate up to five percent of their Mental Health Block Grant funding for prevention and early intervention activities. This strategic allocation of resources is critical to identify and support Americans before their mental health challenges escalate. The Community Mental Health Services Block Grant, administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, is currently limited to funding services for those with severe, diagnosed mental illnesses. With this adjustment, states can take full advantage of Mental Health Block Grants to intervene early and save lives.
"As reports of severe mental health issues continue to rise across the country, it is imperative that we address this issue and help people in crisis receive the treatment they need," Pfluger said in the release. "Research has consistently demonstrated the effectiveness of early intervention in mitigating the severity of mental health challenges among children and adults. By allowing states the flexibility to utilize MHBG funds for prevention and early intervention, the EARLY Minds Act presents a commonsense solution to address the worsening youth mental health crisis."
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