Rep. Susie Lee Hosts Roundtable Addressing Challenges Facing Nevada’s Mental, Behavioral Health Workforce
Las Vegas, Nev. – U.S. Rep. Susie Lee (Nev.-03) hosted a Mental and Behavioral Health Workforce Roundtable with southern Nevada mental health professionals and advocates. The Congresswoman and roundtable participants discussed issues impacting the mental and behavioral health workforce and solutions to challenges facing those working in this critical space.
"We have a mental health crisis in Nevada, because we have a lack of resources, in addition to a lack of coordination on top of multiple layers of barriers to developing a quality mental health system, said Rep. Susie Lee. "With one of the nation's highest suicide rates, as well as limited availability of mental health professionals, we must develop a comprehensive plan. It will save lives, especially those of our veterans, who have among the highest suicide rate in the country. While we certainly must get additional grant funding to expand mental health access, especially for adolescents, we must address issues such as streamlining our licensing processes, increasing coordination between our primary care and mental health providers, and improving our reimbursement rates and rules for mental health services - with Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurers."
"As a nation, we must remove the stigma around mental health, and adopt health policies that make it easier, not harder for individuals suffering from mental illness to get the help they need," concluded Rep. Lee. "Bringing professionals and stakeholders together, like we did today, will allow us to adopt an improvement plan that while achieve results for our state, and therefore, save lives."
BACKGROUND: Rep. Lee prioritized mental health investment in the House Appropriations budget that passed in June, including robust investment in the National Institute of Health, Community Mental Health Services Block Grants, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The Congresswoman introduced the bipartisan Leave No Veteran Behind Act to improve veteran mental health services through outreach and reduce Nevada's high veteran suicide rate.
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