Gwen Moore: “Today, I rise in support of H.R. 7666, a bipartisan response to rising substance use disorders and mental health needs…”

“Today, I rise in support of H.R. 7666, a bipartisan response to rising substance use disorders and mental health needs in our communities. The need for this bill is clear. We've heard about the growing mental health crisis, including about alarming rates of mental health hospitalizations, suicide rates and depression. The need for mental health services continues to grow, including among our children. In my district, the emergency department at Children's Wisconsin saw a 60 percent increase in young patients who attempted suicide between 2020 and 2021. Substance misuse also remains a crisis in our communities. Milwaukee county has among the highest rates of overdose deaths in Wisconsin and has seen high numbers of emergency calls related to overdoses in the past few years. According to Milwaukee County, from 2014 to 2020, the opioid overdose fatality rate in the country was 30.9 per 100,000 persons, more than twice the rate statewide. This bill includes strong provisions to reauthorize and revitalize federal programs that support access to treatment and services, while boosting access to crisis services. The whole continuum of services needs to be strengthened to ensure that no one in need of help goes without. The bill would also reauthorize and increase funding for the Mental Health First Aid grant program.…”