Louisiana senator participates in hearing aimed at improving mental health support to youth

WASHINGTON (BRPROUD) -- Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy co-led a U.S. Senate hearing focusing on improving mental health support to youth Wednesday morning.

The hearing titled "Caring for Our Kids: Supporting Mental Health in the Transition from High School to College" was led by the HELP Subcommittee on Children and Families.

Cassidy placed the blame on the COVID-19 pandemic for an increase in mental health crises in youth. He said the Mental Health Reform Reauthorization Act of 2022 would help those in need of mental health support get the services they need.

The bill would modify and reauthorize grants and assistance for treatment and services for adults and children, mental and behavioral health programs in the criminal justice system, and education and training for health care providers. To read the entire bill, click here.

The following gave their testimony Wednesday:

• Brooklyn Williams, high school senior and founder of the Chill Club, Pittsburgh, PA

• Sharon Hoover, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Co-Director, National Center for School Mental Health; Director, Center for Safe Supportive Schools, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD

• Curtis Wright, EdD, Vice President of Student Affairs, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA

• Ashley Weiss, DO, MPH, Director of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry at Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA