Editorial

While the physical risks of wildfires are well known, few people consider the negative impacts that these fires – and climate change as a whole – can have on our mental health.

The Latino Youth Mental Health Empowerment Act would create a national campaign to spread the word about the importance of mental health care for Latino youth. Our bill would help ensure kids and teens know the symptoms and factors that contribute to mental health problems, in addition to sharing resources for screening, intervention, and treatment – like the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

I recently hosted a special visitor here in Oregon who helped me shine a light on the importance of behavioral health services. Mr. Tom Coderre, who is the first person in recovery to lead the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (better known as SAMHSA), joined me in the Sixth District for a series of conversations with local mental health providers and stakeholders.

I have always said that the addiction crisis is not a problem we can solve with half measures. We can’t just pass laws and pray they work. There is also no silver bullet or one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, we need to enact a series of pragmatic, evidence-based policies to address the problem at hand.

My legislation makes it easier for people who have recovered from a substance abuse or mental health issue to become trained to provide support for others. These peer support specialists have already been down the road to recovery themselves, so they are uniquely equipped to help those who are struggling.

Problem gambling is clearly a serious problem that will only worsen if left unaddressed. Yet unlike drug and alcohol addiction, the federal government does not devote any resources to the prevention, study, and treatment of gambling addiction. That needs to change—and it’s precisely why I introduced the Gambling addiction Recovery, Treatment, and Investment (GRIT) Act in Congress.

No one should have to travel long distances just to see a mental health provider. And, thanks to my new bill, they may no longer have to.