National Alliance for Hispanic Health Calls on Senate to Pass Critical Mental Health Legislation

September 29. 2022. Washington, DC — “More than ever people are suffering. The need for mental health resources and services has been intensified and compounded by the stress, social isolation, and hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Jane L. Delgado, PhD, MS, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, the Nation’s leading Hispanic health advocacy group, in announcing support for the bipartisan Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022. “The Senate must act now to address the mental health needs of communities across the country.”

In a letter to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, the Alliance urged Senators to swiftly pass the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022 to authorize critical investments in mental health and substance use treatment and prevention services. The Act, which passed the House of Representatives in June, will fund community mental health services, substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support, and youth suicide prevention programs, many of which are set to expire at the end of the fiscal year. In addition, the legislation will support maternal mental health care, strengthen and diversify the mental health care workforce, and advance mental health parity in health plans.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults. Yet the majority of individuals living with a mental illness do not receive treatment. Two-thirds of Hispanic adults living with a mental illness and more than nine in ten Hispanics living with a substance use disorder do not receive treatment, highlighting the unique barriers faced by Hispanics and other underserved communities and underscoring the urgent need to reauthorize mental health and substance use treatment and prevention programs.

“As National Suicide Prevention Month draws to a close, we urge Senators to keep mental health at the forefront of their legislative priorities and enact these crucial mental health provisions before the end of the legislative session,” concluded Dr. Delgado.

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About the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (The Alliance)
The Alliance is the nation’s foremost science-based source of information and trusted advocate for the health of Hispanics in the United States with a mission to achieve the best health for all. For more information visit us at www.healthyamericas.org