CHA has submitted a statement for a Senate HELP Committee, the Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, “A Crisis in Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Care: Closing Gaps in Access by Bringing Care and Prevention to Communities.”
Our statement calls on Congress to prioritize children’s unique mental health care needs and those of the pediatric mental and behavioral health workforce, when considering mental health and substance use disorder legislation. Solutions include targeted investments in a full continuum of pediatric mental health services, from mental health promotion and prevention through early identification and treatment, support for training and expanding the pediatric mental health workforce and strengthening pediatric mental health infrastructure to improve children’s access to appropriate care across settings.
