[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 8, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H3493-H3495]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 3, 2019, the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano) is
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
General Leave
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I bring to the floor a topic very near
and dear to my heart, and I rise today to recognize the entire month of
May as Mental Health Awareness Month.
I cochair the Congressional Mental Health Caucus along with my
Republican colleague, Mr. John Katko from New York, and we work to
educate Members of Congress and their staff on the work still needed to
expand mental health access and protections, and also to reduce the
ever-present stigma.
The topic of mental health in Congress has and is building momentum,
and it is spurring action to increase delivery of mental health
services, something I have worked to do for over 2 decades.
This year alone, our House Mental Health Caucus has grown from 47
Members of Congress to 92. However, mental health still affects
millions of Americans of all ages, genders, races, and remains woefully
underfunded and misunderstood.
Suicide currently plagues our veteran community. Roughly 20 veterans
per day take their own lives, according to the VA.
A 2005 to 2016 Department of Veterans Affairs' Suicide Data Report
found that the veteran suicide rate is 1.5 times greater than the
nonveteran population, with over 6,000 veterans dying by suicide each
year.
In the Hispanic community, my own community, approximately one in ten
individuals with mental illness use
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mental health services from a general health provider, while only one
in 20 receive such services from a mental health specialist.
Machismo and other cultural tendencies are preventing our loved ones
from being open and honest about what might be troubling them. The
stigma ranks high.
We must continue to let our loved ones know that there is absolutely
zero, I reiterate, zero shame in asking for help and that seeking
support is a sign of strength.
We also have seen that one in four Latina adolescent children, I say
children because they are still children, report contemplating suicide,
a rate higher than any other demographic.
The increasing diversity of our country underlines both the need and
the importance of assessing culturally and linguistically appropriate
services.
The 2018 election focused on healthcare and the future of the
Affordable Care Act, ACA.
One of ACA's most critical successes was increasing mental health
service and delivery. Insurance companies for decades denied coverage
for patients needing mental health services.
We inserted provisions to end this appalling practice and made mental
health an essential part of basic coverage, including screenings and
other preventive services.
Together, we made sure that no American is discriminated against when
seeking mental health care, and that mental health and substance abuse,
these disorders, are covered equal to physical illnesses like diabetes,
asthma, high blood pressure, and other illnesses.
As we head into 2019, these reforms and the ACA must be strengthened
so more Americans seek the lifesaving care they need.
We must also continue to look at what is being done locally to
support access to mental health services.
In 2001, Pacific Clinics, a nonprofit, and I started a school-based
mental health program with $500,000 seed money from SAMSHA, Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The program began in three middle schools and one high school. The
schools were very reluctant at first, because of the stigma connected
to it and the fear of being labeled ``crazy schools.''
{time} 1430
We kept pushing forward, and the program has now grown to 35 schools,
with a waiting list.
The program serves as a model for H.R. 1109, the Mental Health
Services for Students Act, which would provide $200 million for 100
school-based mental health programs nationwide.
Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota has also introduced a Senate
companion, S. 1122, and we are very grateful for her support.
We knew that if we started early with children, we could help them
succeed and save lives. But stigma remains a big barrier preventing
many parents from getting their children the care they need.
We all need to continue sharing the message that it is always okay to
seek help. If we address issues early, we can help students and their
families succeed in and out of the classroom.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the County Department
of Mental Health have been instrumental in the success of this program.
The Department of Mental Health for Los Angeles County took on funding
the program when SAMHSA funding ended in 2009.
Seeing the success of this program, Supervisors Barger and Hahn, in
January 2019, directed the Department of Mental Health to identify
funding and to develop a countywide plan to provide school-based mental
health services. Countywide means to 14 million people.
In April 2019, the board of supervisors formally adopted a plan to
funding for pilot sites, to hire additional mental health
professionals, and to develop a Mental Health First Aid pilot program
that would educate students.
Beyond stigma reduction and educating loved ones of warning signs and
symptoms, we need to ensure that we have a reliable workforce to be
able to deliver lifesaving services to all in need, regardless of their
ZIP Code. There is a national shortage of trained mental health
professionals, and the California Future Health Workforce Commission
has stated that, without dramatic policy changes, California will have
41 percent fewer psychiatrists and 11 percent fewer psychologists,
marriage and family therapists, clinical counselors, and social workers
than needed by 2030.
Recognizing this, I, along with my colleague, Mr. Katko, reintroduced
H.R. 2431, the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan
Repayment Act of 2019.
My Mental Health Caucus co-chair is wonderful in this sense, and I
thank him for that.
This bill would expand the mental health workforce by providing loan
reimbursement to mental health professionals who commit to working in
underserved areas.
Our work continues, but it can't be limited to this Congress or any
other Congress. I encourage all to get involved, educate yourselves,
and share resources with friends and family. If you see somebody who
has fallen on hard times, reach out, help them out, and, if needed,
refer them to a mental health services provider. Together, we can
continue to build a movement and eventually live in a world where there
is no stigma, or it is very much reduced.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko), my
friend.
Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Mental Health
Awareness Month.
At the outset, I want to thank my colleague, Mrs. Napolitano, for
being a partner in this and a leader in this issue for a long time. I
am honored to speak with her on this issue. Many of my comments today
are going to echo the sentiments that she just spoke here in Congress,
but it bears repeating, in my own words.
Throughout May, my colleagues and I will bring attention to the
impact of mental illness on American society, as well as Congress' role
in addressing mental healthcare issues facing the country. It is an
honor to collaborate with my colleagues in the Congressional Mental
Health Caucus, including Mrs. Napolitano, to raise awareness for mental
illness, reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness, and create
legislation that improves mental health outcomes for all Americans.
Mental illnesses have a devastating effect on those struggling to
live with them. This includes changes in mood, social interactions,
sleep patterns, and eating habits. Sadly, the most extreme consequences
that occur all too often for mental illness are when individuals
inflict self-injury or take their life.
Here are some statistics that should stun everybody.
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death, and it is the 2nd leading
cause of death among Americans aged 24 and younger. Let me repeat that.
The 10th leading cause of death for all Americans is suicide, and for
Americans aged 24 and younger, it is the 2nd leading cause of death.
That is stunning.
Approximately 1.4 million Americans attempt suicide each year, and
over 47,000 Americans lose their life to suicide each and every year.
The United States has 3,700 suicide attempts daily and 129 suicide
deaths per day. This equates to one suicide every 12 minutes. By the
time I finish this speech, statistics will have it that another person
will have taken their life. That should wake people up in this country.
Not only does suicide have severe emotional costs on families and
communities, it also has a huge cost to our economy. It is estimated
that suicide and self-injury reduce the economic output of the United
States by nearly $70 billion a year.
The suicide epidemic is responsible for nearly the same amount of
deaths in the United States as another major crisis, one that gets far
more attention, and rightfully so, that being the opioid epidemic. It
is estimated that opioids were the cause of 47,600 deaths in America
last year, only a few hundred more than suicide.
While solving the opioid crisis has received ample funding and
attention, and rightfully so, reducing suicide and improving mental
health treatment deserves the same recognition. We fall far short of
that now, far short of that.
To give you an example, the Zika virus came about in this country,
and, of course, it was a terrible virus with terrible consequences.
Congress
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promptly enacted $1.6 billion to address it. A total of one person died
from the Zika virus. Of course, there were many other health problems
that were attributed to it.
Again, the $1.6 billion that was appropriated was rightfully so.
Nowhere near that much is appropriated for mental health and suicide
research on a yearly basis. The National Institutes of Health needs the
money.
Congress has a responsibility to assist individuals experiencing
mental health challenges through effective legislation and research
subsidies. Congress should advance policies that increase America's
access to mental healthcare treatment as a mechanism for preventing
self-harm incidents and suicide attempts.
Just one-third of Americans with mental illness receive treatment--
just one-third. Our country is in desperate need of additional trained
therapists, psychologists, and counselors. This lack of access can be
partly attributed to a shortage of mental healthcare professionals in
certain communities.
In order to establish a more reliable supply of mental healthcare
professionals, Congresswoman Grace Napolitano and I recently introduced
the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act
of 2019.
Our bill delivers professionals to areas that require mental
healthcare experts the most by forgiving their secondary education
student loans. It invests in bolstering our mental health workforce,
while expanding treatment for Americans with mental illness.
I am proud to stand by my colleague across the aisle, Grace
Napolitano, in pushing this most important bill.
Americans across the country, regardless of age, social status, or
background, are affected by mental illness. Mental Health Awareness
Month serves as an opportunity for any of my congressional colleagues,
Republican or Democrat, to join the conversation.
I can't think of a more bipartisan action than what we are talking
about today. Together--together--we can improve mental health outcomes
for Americans across the country by engaging in thoughtful discussion
and crafting efficient policies.
Finally, it is an honor, once again, to co-chair the Congressional
Mental Health Caucus with Congresswoman Napolitano. I am grateful for
her continued leadership, her commitment to this issue, her
stewardship, and her mentorship to me on it, as well.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, it is wonderful to hear all the work
that Mr. Katko has done on mental health. He has been exceptional in
this field, and I thank him for all his support. Working together is a
pleasure.
What is mental health? If somebody says you belong in a crazy house,
not so. It could be a child in school, a middle school, suffering the
effects of bullying, or somebody who has had trauma, a shooting or
something that affects them, and it won't go away and it festers when
they grow older.
Forty percent of the incarcerated need mental health services. Foster
children, who are unaware of what their next step will be after they
are emancipated, need mental health support.
That can just go on and on. It is something that is needed. Somehow,
we are not doing our job.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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