(Washington, DC) Today, House Democratic Leaders and Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Chairman Mike Thompson (CA-5), held a press conference announcing a comprehensive set of policy proposals to make our schools, streets and communities safer. As a vice chair of the Task Force, Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (CA-32), helped draft the mental health provisions.

“Thank you to Chairman Thompson and my colleagues on the Task Force for recognizing that mental health is a critical part of the conversation on gun violence prevention and for understanding how it affects our families, communities, and businesses,” Napolitano said. “We must continue to de-stigmatize the issue of mental illness and elevate mental health to achieve parity with physical health. Americans have demanded that action be taken, and these principles are a critical first step in protecting the well-being of all.”

Summary of mental health provisions:

·        Ensure mental health parity.

·        Fully address the issue of stigma related to mental illness.

·        Fund and prioritize evidence-based programs and practices for School Based Mental Health Programs.

·        Fund mental health programs related to military service members, veterans, and minority communities.

·        Expand the mental health care network to institutional and community based mental health treatments.

·        Fund and deploy effective jail diversion programs to better address and identify appropriate mental health and rehabilitation services for federal and state inmates with diagnosable mental health problems.

·        Ensure that successful programs, like mental health first aid training, are made available for students, parents, educators, faculty and staff, law enforcement, emergency response personnel, community faith leaders, and others who interact with at-risk populations.

·        Ensure families, schools, and communities receive resources and training to put in place evidence-based emergency protocols and address crisis situations as soon as they develop.

·        Increase the mental health workforce, especially for those professionals who work with children, youth, military, veterans, and minority communities.

·        Provide adequate pay and increase the number of mental health professionals who are educated, trained, and licensed to work with the underserved.

·        Conduct assessments on mental health information sharing and program funding to evaluate programs’ effectiveness over time.

·        Increase media outreach and partnerships while addressing the issue of mental health to ensure the public is properly informed; eliminating the stigma.

In 2001, Napolitano secured funding to provide on-site mental health services for schools within her Congressional District, a program that has now expanded to 15 other area schools. She authored the Mental Health in Schools Act, which would implement these services on a national level, and plans to reintroduce the legislation next week.

If you or someone you know needs help, call the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

The full recommendations of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force can be viewed here.

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