Sen. Murray is fighting to secure $500,000 for the City of Tacoma to establish a municipal treatment court and $2 million to help HopeSparks build a new pediatric medical and behavioral health center.
senator murray: “Making real progress in providing the kind of mental health care our communities need will require all of us working together at all levels of government.”
***Photos from today's event here***
Tacoma, Washington – Today, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, met with local leaders and advocates in Tacoma to discuss local and federal legislation regarding mental and behavioral health care. We talked about partnerships. In particular, while Sen. Murray is fighting to protect major state investments in mental health at the federal level, $500,000 for the City of Tacoma to establish a municipal treatment court and Hope Sparks Family Services. is also working to secure $2 million to help build the hospital. New Pediatric Medical and Behavioral Health Center. At the conclusion of the debate, Senator Murray also toured the Holistic Outreach Promotion (HOPE) program's mobile unit.
In today's roundtable discussion, Senator Murray was joined by Tacoma Deputy Mayor John Hynes. Joseph Le Roy, President and CEO of HopeSparks Family Services; Ashley Mangum, Kids Mental Health Pierce Director; Alicia Morales, HOPE Program Co-Director. Kathy Hallstone, HOPE Program Co-Director. Dee A. Sontag, Tacoma Municipal Court Judge. Drew Ann Henke, Tacoma Municipal Court Judge;
“There is no question that our nation faces a mental health crisis, and we need to not only strengthen federal investment in mental health at the national level, but also do the important work being done on the ground in communities like Tacoma. Supporting the effort is a priority for me.” said Senator Murray. “Making real progress in providing the kind of mental health care our communities need will require all of us working together at all levels of government. , I look forward to taking the stories and perspectives from today's discussion back to the Other Washington as we fight to protect investments in mental health.”
In contrast to the extreme cuts proposed by House Republicans, Sen. Murray fought hard to strengthen mental health funding in the FY 2024 Senate budget bill that passed out of committee. Senator Murray is currently working to protect federal investments in mental health during negotiations. He joined his colleagues in the House and Senate in introducing the final version of the 2024 government spending bill.
“We are committed to reaching upstream and preventing mental health crises before they occur. By funding fully integrated care for children and families, we begins to change its trajectory one child at a time. Imagine a world where every child has access to a care team that includes mental health professionals from day one. That's what we're doing here. I cannot thank Senator Murray enough for his investment in this lifesaving effort.” Joe Le Roy, CEO of HopeSparks, said:
“Over the past few years, we have recognized how important it is to ensure we provide a wide range of mental and behavioral health resources to our communities.” said Tacoma Deputy Mayor John Hynes. “I’m proud of our work in Tacoma to ensure residents have access to these types of resources, especially during times of crisis, because we believe it promotes well-being, accountability, and safety. Models like our new HOPE team are essential to ensuring people receive the support that best fits their needs, and we need our communities to support this effort. We are excited to see how we have come together. Like many other cities across the country, we are committed to placing greater emphasis on how we can best support mental and behavioral health. At the same time, we recognize we can't do it alone and look forward to working with our state and federal partners.”
As the former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP), Senator Murray initiated legislative initiatives in the last Congress and worked with colleagues to address the nation's mental health and issues. created a bipartisan package. Challenges like the substance use disorder crisis, the rise in fentanyl and the spike in youth mental health emergencies. She led negotiations on the health care package, which was passed as part of the 2023 omnibus spending package and signed into law in December 2022. Among other things, the bipartisan legislation that Sen. Murray negotiated into law includes:
- Strengthen the new 988 lifeline.
- Support maternal mental health and substance use disorder screening and treatment.
- Building and sustaining the mental health and substance use disorder workforce.
- Understand and address the mental health issues children face.
- Strengthen suicide prevention efforts and states' opioid crisis response efforts.
- Increased access to drugs to treat substance use disorders and reverse overdoses.
- Provide better support for Tribes' efforts to address mental health and substance use disorders.
As the former Chairman of the Labor, Health, Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee (LHHS), Senator Murray is committed to implementing the new provisions secured in the health package and supporting communities in fiscal year 2023. We secured a significant funding increase in the spending bill. Addressing mental health and substance use disorder crises, including:
- $501.6 million (an increase of approximately $400 million) to successfully transition the Suicide Prevention Lifeline to 988;
- Adds an additional $370 million for mental health treatment through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.and
- Another $345 million to combat opioid abuse, totaling $5 billion.
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