Political Quotes

“For too long, Americans, including children, struggling with mental illness and substance abuse, have suffered in silence, intimidated by stigma and unable to access treatment. The 2019 Rhode Island Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 15 percent of Rhode Island high school students reported attempting suicide one or more times in the previous 12 months. That is 4 students in a class of 25. There is a mental health crisis in Rhode Island and throughout our country, and we have to address it now. The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act will save lives by expanding access to mental health and substance abuse disorder treatment through: Establishing the Behavioral Health Crisis Coordination Office; reauthorizing critical public health programs to prevent suicide and expand access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment; and eliminating unnecessary limits on providers' ability to prescribe treatments for opioid use disorder. I urge my colleagues to join with me in support of this critical legislation to save lives and to help us address addiction all across our country.”