Friend,
Right now, our country is experiencing a mental health crisis. It’s important that you know where I stand on this issue.
As a mother and public health expert, I am committed to ensuring mental health resources are made available for adults and the youth in our district.
According to Mental Health America, Montana is ranked 39 out of the 50 states and Washington D.C. for providing access to mental health services.
The impact of the pandemic has only exacerbated this mental health crisis. The Surgeon General released an emergency report in December outlining the pandemic’s unprecedented impact on the mental health of America’s youth and families.
Two out of five adults report symptoms of anxiety or depression, and our youth have been hit particularly hard with disruptions in routines and relationships, social isolation, anxiety, and learning loss.
Even before the pandemic, rates of depression and anxiety were inching higher. But the grief, trauma, and isolation of the last two years have driven us to a collective breaking point.
I’ve dedicated my career to improving access to care in rural communities and have long advocated for mental health care and support services for Montanans struggling with mental health disorders and substance abuse.
While we have the groundwork laid out to expand access to mental health services, more work is needed to make sure that those who need help can access care when they need it most.
Mental health is an issue that impacts all of us, and I’m committed to prioritizing this public health need. Montana deserves a leader who’ll advocate for expanding access to mental health services in our district, and I’m prepared to do just that.
Thanks for hearing me out on this, friend.
Cora
The
Montana Crisis Recovery hotline is available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. If you or a loved one would like counseling, you can call
1-877-503-0833 to receive free and confidential counseling services from trained counselors.
