Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize May as Mental Health Awareness Month. One in six students is experiencing childhood mental health disorders. Among adults, that number jumps to one in five. Our Nation is facing a mental health crisis, and it requires urgent action. For too long, mental health has been a topic that people have been afraid to openly discuss. It carries with it a stigma that has prevented people from getting the care they need. I know this firsthand. Having been raised by a single mom with undiagnosed depression, I know the challenges that many families face. While grateful for her love, I knew the struggles that she lived with. Talking about mental health simply isn't enough. We must work hard to break down and break through barriers and encourage more people to seek the help they need. That requires us as a nation and as communities to invest more and to help ensure anyone who needs mental health treatment can access it. I spent much of the last 12 years as a local elected official building up the most comprehensive community-based mental health model in the country. It is now, today, the model that New York State uses, and it is critically important that we expand the reach and the ability of individuals to access community-based mental health treatment. In upstate New York, we have incredible providers like the Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier. Unfortunately, these providers are stretched thin and face growing demand. They need our help.…”