Dear Friend,

In New Mexico, we know what it’s like to struggle with accessing care for our behavioral health needs for ourselves and our families. That’s reflected in the numbers. Just 12% of New Mexicans have access to the mental, behavioral, and substance use care they need.  

As your Member of Congress, I want you to know that I take this seriously. Behavioral health care is the foundation of our community well-being and public safety. That’s why I am in the middle of developing comprehensive legislation to address this issue in consultation with health providers across our state, and why this week I took several key steps forward to expand and support behavioral health resources.  

Yesterday, we passed Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act (H.R. 7666) to expand support for over 30 key programs addressing behavioral health, youth mental health, the opioid crisis, and more. This legislation now moves to the Senate.  
I have also recently cosponsored three key pieces of legislation, including: 

• The PEERS Act will help Medicare beneficiaries connect with peer support specialists so that individuals with lived experiences can provide support to those who struggle with mental health, psychological trauma, or substance abuse. 
• The Increasing Access to Mental Health in Schools Act will establish a program to increase the number of mental health professionals in low-income schools by establishing partnerships with higher education institutions to support the teaching and training of school counselors, social workers, and psychologists. 
• The Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Act would allow every state the option to fund innovative behavioral health clinics that offer comprehensive mental health and substance use treatment.  

In order to continue supporting the behavioral health needs of communities across New Mexico, I’m also working to develop comprehensive legislation in order to fully address the provider shortages that we have experienced in New Mexico. I hope to share news about our progress on this legislation in the coming weeks! 

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As always, if I can be of any assistance to you or your family, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or my staff at (505) 346-6781. If you’d like to keep up to date on what I am working on in Washington on behalf of New Mexico’s First Congressional District and our communities, you can subscribe to our newsletter here, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

Sincerely,

Melanie