Kamala Harris unveils plan to cover mental health services on demand - Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier

U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California announced a mental health plan Monday that as part of ‘Medicare for All’ will cover mental health on demand — that is, to anyone who needs it, whenever and wherever they need it.

The nation is experiencing a mental health crisis, Harris said. Her plan calls for doubling the number of treatment beds, giving priority to states with shortages, and supporting veterans’ mental health by doubling research dollars for the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to address post-traumatic stress disorder, military sexual trauma and traumatic brain injury.

“We have failed when it comes to policy solutions for Americans struggling with mental health,” Harris said. “Too often we only focus on health care from the neck down, and we need to ensure we are addressing health care from the neck up.”

Harris, who spoke about the need to improve mental health services while campaigning in Washington, Iowa, over the weekend, said her plan would deliver “mental health care on demand” by removing high copays and deductibles, providing direct access to providers via telemedicine, and investing research dollars into public health challenges facing veterans.

We can't do it without you. Support local journalism with our BEST DEAL EVER!

Loading&hellp;

Thanks for being a subscriber.

Sorry, your subscription does not include this content.

Please call 800-798-1730 to upgrade your subscription.

Thanks for reading.

An Iowa mental health leader familiar with Harris’ plan thanked her for listening to the concerns of families of those with mental health issues.

“Her plan can lead to saving and improving lives of not only those who are so very sick, but their families as well,” said Leslie Carpenter of Iowa City, co-founder of Iowa Mental Health Advocacy. She has a 28-year-old son with schizoaffective disorder, which is one of the most difficult brain disorders to treat.

“This is a comprehensive, substantive plan to end the criminalization of serious mental illnesses with several policy changes that will improve access to treatment and improve the ability of families to support their loved ones through treatment and in recovery,” Carpenter said.

As part of her plan, Harris would increase funds for integrating specialized police, mental health professionals, EMS, 911 systems, and hospital emergency rooms in response to mental health crisis calls. She would increase federal funding for hiring mental health professionals to accompany police in responding to calls for individuals in mental crises.

Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

https://ift.tt/2rpN3qE