Mental Health America honors 10 state legislators championing mental health and substance use disorder policy

Leaders from Kentucky, Ohio, North Dakota, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Florida, Massachusetts, and Michigan recognized at meeting for cutting-edge mental health treatments and supports

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Mental Health America (MHA) today recognized 10 state legislators as 2024 Legislative Champions during MHA’s Regional Policy Council (RPC) meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. These legislators demonstrated a commitment to furthering mental health and substance use disorder policies and treatment access in their states.

The legislators recognized as MHA 2024 Legislative Champions were:

• Kentucky Rep. Kimberly Poore Moser for her outstanding work supporting access to maternal mental health care.
• Kentucky Sen. Julie Raque Adams for her work to increase access to maternal mental health services.
• Kentucky Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe for her work supporting mental health courts, and the behavioral health needs of foster children.
• Ohio Rep. Anita Somani for her landmark co-sponsorship of Ohio’s first legislative resolution acknowledging and lifting up the importance of destigmatizing, understanding, and addressing perinatal mental health conditions
• North Dakota Sen. Dick Dever for supporting funding for mental health services and substance use treatment.
• Florida Rep. Christine Hunschofsky for her unwavering support of the mental health of students as the Mayor of Parkland and now as a Florida state legislator.
• Massachusetts Sen. Cindy Friedman, co-chair of the Health Care Financing Committee and former co-chair of the Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery Committee, for sponsoring major omnibus mental health legislation, championing equitable access to care, and ensuring behavioral health representation on the Health Policy Commission.
• Pennsylvania Rep. Stephen Kinsey, Chair of the House Human Services Committee, and support for HB 849 to provide adult mental health program funding.
• Michigan Sen. Rick Outman for sponsoring Senate Bill 638, to establish the Behavioral Health Jail Diversion Grant programs, and co-sponsoring Senate Bill 637, to establish the Community Crisis Response Grant program.
• Wyoming Rep. Jon Conrad for his work to fund the 988 suicide prevention hotline trust fund by sponsoring House Bill 186.

“Mental Health America is proud and humbled to have honored 10 outstanding state legislators today as mental health and substance use disorder champions. These bipartisan men and women have brought increased awareness and funding to their states for maternal mental health, access and dollars for treatment for students and community mental health, foster care children, mental health courts and crisis services,” said Debbie Plotnick, executive vice president for state and federal advocacy at MHA. “Mental Health America prioritizes access and equity in public policy, legislation, and regulation, and these leaders exemplify those goals.”

Today’s RPC meeting, guided by the theme of “Winning the Race Against Criminalization: Deflecting, Diverting, and Directing,” brought in-depth policy information about how to lessen and eliminate criminal justice involvement for those in crisis and pregnant people, supports and services for maternal mental health, and advocacy strategies for fighting the increasing criminalization of homelessness.

The RPC is supported by MHA’s most knowledgeable public policy and executive affiliate leaders who work alongside MHA staff to mobilize grassroots and grasstops advocacy, share information, and provide and facilitate mentorship with affiliates about state and federal legislation and initiatives.

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Mental Health America is the nation’s leading community-driven nonprofit dedicated to promoting mental health and well-being, resilience, recovery, and closing the mental health equity gap. Mental Health America’s work is driven by its commitment to promote mental health as a critical part of whole-person health, including prevention services for all; early identification and intervention for those at risk; and integrated care, services and supports for those who need them. Learn more at MHAnational.org.