Senator Tina Smith looks to target mental health crisis

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - This week, the senator helped launch a new bipartisan senate mental health caucus.

The purpose is to improve prevention and have early intervention efforts.

The group also aims to enhance crisis response services around the nation, expand mental health professional workforce, and increase access to mental health services and treatments that are evidence based.

“My goal is to one break down some of the stigma that still exists. Some of the fears about talking about your mental healthcare needs or lack of certainty about what to do and how to. Get help so. One to kind of break that down and then to really look at the healthcare system and say what can we do to make sure that there is care that people can have when they need it,” said Sen. Smith.

Senator Smith hopes the bipartisan makeup of the caucus can help get results in Congress.

“I have optimism that as we identify needs going forward, we can figure out, OK, how do we get that through Congress? How do we build the support and and put the money behind it so that we can fulfill the goal that everybody in this in my state and our state of Minnesota has access to the care that they need,” said Sen. Smith.

Other members of the caucus include senators Alex Padilla of California, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Joni Ernst of Iowa..

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