America's approach to mental health care is way out of whack, and it starts failing America's young people early on.

Thank you for your interest in improving access to mental and behavioral health services for children, young people, and their families.

Thank you, Chairman Wyden, for the invitation to speak with the committee today, and for your leadership on the issue of mental health in our Nation.

I am grateful to the Senate Finance Committee for taking the time to explore the ongoing youth mental health crisis and public policy aimed at promotion of mental health and expanding access to high quality mental health services for our…

I also want to commend Senator Stabenow for her years and years of work on behavioral health issues that are so important, and that we will build on.

Ensuring that 9-8-8 is equipped with appropriate specialized services for LGBTQ youth is a matter of life and death.

Young people deserve better.

I thank each and every member of Congress (including those in leadership) who have been fighting the good fight with me.

We need a robust, comprehensive mental and behavioral health system that serves all Americans.

Thank you for investing in improving the access and resources children, young people and their families have to mental and behavioral health supports.

If given the right tools, I am confident that true mental health parity can become a reality in the American health care system.

We agree fully and we are thankful for Chairman Wyden's, Ranking Member Crapo and the Committee Members' commitment to ensuring young people have a seat at the table as work on this critical issue continues.

Let's get to work for the young people of this country who are struggling.

mental health problems often show up first when we have people who are very young, but the average delay between the onset of mental health symptoms and the beginning of treatment is actually 11 years.

Our young people are suffering, and LGBTQ young people are among those suffering the most.

America's children are on a path to crisis.

Existing parity law must be better enforced, as insurance companies continue to violate it.

I am proud to stand with Congressman Joe Neguse of Colorado on his bill, H.R. 6076, the CARE for Mental Health Professionals Act.

The bottom line is, no more mental health business as usual, because business as usual is failing too many young people at every single point, from the first sign of symptoms to the most critical moments of crisis.

What ought to be done about that?

you and young people are going to have a seat at that table when we are working on these reforms.

Thank you to Senators Wyden and Crapo for putting bipartisan support on this very critical issue nationwide.

We know on average, as Senator Wyden noted in the beginning, that people do not get into care for over a decade after the initial onset of symptoms.

Thank you for holding this month's hearings, 'Protecting Youth Mental Health: Part I--An Advisory and Call to Action' and 'Protecting Youth Mental Health: Part II--Identifying and Addressing Barriers to Care.'

The fact is, the system too often fails them when they're in crisis too.