Ask Your Legislator Where They Stand on Mental Health in Health Reform

Congressional leaders and the Obama Administration are committed to acting on a health care reform plan this spring.

With Congress in recess until April 20th, Senators and Representatives will be back in their home states and districts. This presents a critical opportunity to contact your Senators and Representatives and urge that they ensure mental health concerns are addressed in any health care reform initiative, especially those making improvements to care coordination and chronic care management, as well as improving access to preventive services.

Here are some questions to ask them about these important issues:

What will you do to ensure that improving mental health care and addiction treatment are prioritized in any federal health care reform initiatives focused on chronic diseases?
What will you do to help improve integration of mental health and primary care for both children and adults?
What are your plans to improve access to prevention services and how will you incorporate mental health and substance use prevention, particularly for children and youth, into those initiatives?