AFT’s Weingarten on Hillary Clinton’s Agenda on Mental Health

WASHINGTON— American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on Hillary Clinton’s plan to address mental health issues:

“Hillary Clinton’s plan to modernize our approach to mental healthcare shows again that she is uniquely prepared to tackle the most complex challenges our country faces—challenges our members know firsthand from their daily lives and work.

“The plan is breathtaking in scope and vision, with resources and support for people at every stage of life. It ends the artificial separation of mental and physical care, with a focus on treating the whole person and ending the stigma around mental illness.

“Our nurses and healthcare providers have worked for years to achieve many of the health goals Hillary’s plan sets forth, like addressing the shortage of providers, fostering the integration of mental and physical care, and reinvesting in our public health infrastructure.

“In K-12 settings, all too often, students enter with mental health needs that are beyond educators’ expertise. Hillary’s plan will increase support for these students by investing in trauma-informed practices and raising the number of school social workers, counselors and psychologists in school communities.

“Far too many students fall through the cracks in college without adequate access to care, whether they’re struggling with a pre-existing condition or suffering from the strain of coursework, social isolation, or the trauma of sexual assault or other triggers. Hillary’s plan expands mental health care on campus and provides for more training in early detection and treatment for educators and staff.

“Our members in psychiatric care settings are thrilled by the expansion of community-based care, which will allow patients to seek treatment and support closer to home. Public safety workers will receive expanded training, so more people end up in treatment and fewer in jail.

“Hillary Clinton’s detailed, comprehensive plan once again shows her deep commitment to improving people’s lives, taking on a complex problem that affects more than 40 million Americans and their families. This plan displays her deep understanding of the role policy and government can play, and we know from her track record that she has the persistence to see it through.”