Mental Health Advocates Urge Florida Lawmakers to Focus on Mental Health Issues
January 24th, 2018 by Jake Stofan
One out of four people will develop a mental health condition at some point throughout their lifetime. It’s the message mental health advocates are trying to get across to lawmakers in an effort to get them talking about mental health reform in the state.
Advocates also point at the increasingly devastating opioid addiction taking place across the country, noting most addicts also suffer from a mental illness.
Mental health organizations announced their support for 5 proposals in the legislature aimed at improving mental health care in the state. They range from PTSD coverage for first responders, to requiring the Agency for Health Care Administration to study the link between substance abuse and mental health disorders.
“It affects every single one of us. Our friends, our neighbors, our loved ones, our co-workers. Mental illness is one of the leading causes of worker disability in this nation,” said Executive Director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Florida Chapter, Alis LaPolt. “We’ve got to start talking about mental health in this nation. We’ve got to start talking about mental illness, mental health and recovery. Recovery is possible.”
Among the states, Florida rank’s 49th for funding for mental illness and 44th in terms of access to care.
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