U.S. Representative Adam Smith | U.S. Representative Adam Smith official website
U.S. Representative Adam Smith | U.S. Representative Adam Smith official website
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On May 26, 2023, Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) released the following statement regarding Mental Health Awareness Month.
“May is Mental Health Awareness Month – a time to have honest conversations about mental health and what we can do to find and advance solutions to the nationwide mental health crisis. It is estimated that more than one in five adults in the United States live with a mental health condition. It has taken me a long time to talk about publicly, but I have had my own struggles with mental health.
“For years I dealt with debilitating anxiety that made it hard to even get out of bed some days. After a long journey through our broken health care system, I eventually found something that worked for me. I am lucky enough to have decent health insurance and the means to afford out-of-pocket mental health care when that was the best option – but that’s not the reality for most people. We simply must make mental health care more affordable and accessible for everyone who is struggling.
“I have and will continue to push for solutions to the mental health crisis in Congress. That’s why I recently introduced the Behavioral Health Crisis Care Centers Act, which would fund behavioral health crisis care centers that are a hub for accessing health care and wraparound support services for people experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis. I have also long advocated for increased funding for mental health care – from Community Project Funding for Seattle’s Health One to expanding behavioral health clinics – we need to make it easier for people get the mental health services they need.
“As we close out Mental Health Awareness Month, I want to encourage everyone to continue having honest conversations so that we can defeat the harmful stigma surrounding mental health that stands in the way of people getting the help they need. For anyone who is struggling, reach out for help. I believe that recovery is possible for everyone.”
Original source can be found here.
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