January 19, 2023

Congressman Al Green Announces Authorization of $1,600,000 in Much-Needed Federal Funding for Local Mental Health and Wellness Center

(Houston, TX) – On Thursday, January 19, 2022, Congressman Al Green hosted a press conference with the Ibn Sina Foundation and presented a symbolic check in the amount of $1,600,000. He released the following statement:

“Although the state of mental health across the U.S. is of concern, the state of mental health in Texas is of grave concern. According to Mental Health America, a nonprofit that has engaged in mental health advocacy in the U.S. for over 113 years, 19.86% of adults are experiencing a mental illness. This percentage is equal to nearly 50 million Americans. Furthermore, Mental Health America’s research indicates that the state of mental health care in Texas is among the worst in the nation, especially among the uninsured,” Congressman Al Green said. “The nonprofit’s research also found that the prevalence of adults with a cognitive disability who couldn’t see a doctor due to cost ranges from 18.48% in Rhode Island on the low end to 40.65% in Texas—the worst in the nation. Similarly, the prevalence of uninsured adults with a mental illness ranges from 3.8% in Massachusetts on the low end to 21.5% in Texas––again the worst in the nation.”

Congressman Al Green continued, “This is why I am proud to have secured $1,600,000 in federal funding for the development of a mental wellness center at Ibn Sina’s Wilcrest flagship clinic. This much needed mental wellness center is slated to scale up mental health services for Houstonians by making treatment available for a variety of conditions, including anxiety, depression, autism, and ADHD. Additionally, these federal funds will allow Ibn Sina to expand their availability of mental health services to six days per week and increase the number of behavioral health professionals available to the public, including psychiatrists, psychologists, and counselors. I salute Ibn Sina for their distinguished efforts to address the health challenges facing our community, especially uninsured, low income, and minority populations. Access to health care and mental health services saves lives.”

“Mental health is crucial to personal, community, social, and economic development. Mental health challenges are complex and exist in society at different scales and there is a need to develop the affordable and effective strategies to tackle and prevent the associated severity,” said Nasruddin Rupani, Chairman of the Ibn Sina Foundation Board.  

The Ibn Sina Foundation has been serving the Greater Houston area for over 20 years. It currently operates five clinics across Houston, as well as one in Webster and another in Port Arthur. Ibn Sina offers linguistically diverse services that span 14 medical specialties, including neurology, dermatology, rheumatology, endocrinology, and cardiology. It is a proud partner of over 50 organizations, which include non-profits, hospitals, and government agencies.

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