Rural Mental Healthcare

Floor Speech

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Ms. SALINAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the growing mental health care crisis in rural America.

Nearly one in five adults live with a mental illness, yet rural communities lack the providers, facilities, and resources to meet their needs. In my own district, an entire county has only one child and adolescent psychiatrist. For families seeking timely specialized care, that is not just an inconvenience. It is a barrier that can mean the difference between preventative help and a crisis.

Communities across the country face the same impossible math: too many needs and too few providers.

That is why I have introduced legislation to support clinicians who commit to practicing in rural areas and to expand telemental health services tailored to farmers, fishers, and foresters, the people who power our rural economies.

Access to quality care should not depend on your ZIP Code. I urge my colleagues to join me in ensuring rural Americans are no longer overlooked or underserved.

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