Mental Health Solutions

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mrs. SYKES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about an issue that touches every community in this country: mental health.

More than one in five adults in the United States live with a mental health illness. These are our friends, neighbors, coworkers, or family members. For many of us, this is a deeply personal issue.

Whether you live in a big city or a small town, almost everyone has a person in their life who is struggling, and chances are you know someone who has struggled or you could be struggling yourself.

In Ohio, we have seen just how urgent this crisis has become, where we have only about half the behavioral health workforce we need to meet the demand. In fact, there is just one psychiatrist for every 6,000 Ohioans. That is not just a workforce problem. It is a public health emergency, a safety issue, and a challenge to our quality of life.

When I came to Congress, I promised to work with anyone from either side of the aisle to address the challenges that matter most to the people of Ohio's 13th. That is why I have reintroduced the Mental Health Improvement Act, a bipartisan bill to provide tens of millions of dollars annually to expand our behavioral health workforce, helping to train, recruit, and retain mental health professionals across the country.

It is a commonsense solution that will bring resources directly to communities like mine, helping to address addiction, reduce suicide, and ensure more Americans get the care they need when they need it.

I hope that everyone joins me in passing this bipartisan bill. Our country demands it.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source