Mental Health

Nearly one in five adults nationwide lives with a mental illness, yet we lack the providers, facilities, and resources to meet their needs.

That’s why I am proud to be a co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Mental Health Caucus. As a co-chair, I’m focused on reducing stigma, expanding access, and tackling affordability barriers. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to our mental health crisis, so we need a comprehensive approach.

Oregon faces a severe shortage of mental health crisis beds and treatment facilities, which forces too many people into costly emergency rooms when they should be at more specialized facilities. We also lack sufficient numbers of trained mental health and addiction service providers across our state.

I have introduced legislation to tackle both of these issues by providing funding and loans for new behavioral health facilities with more beds, as well as by providing scholarships for students to pursue mental and behavioral health degrees if they agree to practice in areas of the country without enough providers.  

Beyond crisis care, prevention is key to addressing mental health issues. I’ve introduced legislation to fund school-based mental health providers, as well as legislation that would guarantee three cost-free mental and behavioral health visits for Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries per year.

Mental health is as vital as physical health, and there should be no stigma in seeking care. While we have made great strides to normalize mental health care, there is still more work to be done, and as a co-chair of the Congressional Mental Health Caucus, I will continue to make addressing our nation’s mental health crisis one of my top priorities in Congress.