1
00:00:00,580 --> 00:00:02,879
(Ambient music)

2
00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:12,860
A lot of issues that we 
care about and are active in

3
00:00:12,860 --> 00:00:14,900
there's absolutely 
a personal connection.

4
00:00:15,300 --> 00:00:19,780
It's personal, our family, 
from my very first date

5
00:00:19,780 --> 00:00:21,300
with my wife Angela.

6
00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:25,520
She shared with me
her experience in growing up

7
00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:28,429
as not just a daughter 
to a single mother,

8
00:00:28,559 --> 00:00:31,370
but as her mother's 
caretaker and advocate.

9
00:00:31,630 --> 00:00:34,080
My mother suffers from...

10
00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:36,485
or her diagnosis, I should say,

11
00:00:36,485 --> 00:00:39,322
is a a bipolar I
schizoaffective disorder

12
00:00:39,500 --> 00:00:42,507
So a pretty severe diagnosis.

13
00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:45,640
uh but uh Just Having learned and been

14
00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:48,640
inspired by Angel's experience over the

15
00:00:49,346 --> 00:00:51,440
years and her family's really ring

16
00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:53,399
around in support of my

17
00:00:53,399 --> 00:00:57,000
mother-in-law uh it's uh drove home the

18
00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:01,800
lesson that she's she's doing well uh we

19
00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:03,760
say she's thriving so if there's hope

20
00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:05,799
for her there's hope for almost anybody

21
00:01:05,799 --> 00:01:07,040
we know that there's certainly

22
00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:10,159
significant need around the country for

23
00:01:10,159 --> 00:01:12,840
improveed mental health support um the

24
00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:16,479
the need for uh better access to Mental

25
00:01:16,479 --> 00:01:20,520
Health Services uh and Care uh you know

26
00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,200
by the Numbers it was an epidemic before

27
00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,920
the covid-19 pandemic uh but uh Co

28
00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:28,880
really put a spotlight on the need and

29
00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:32,759
ex and exacerbated the uh the crisis and

30
00:01:32,759 --> 00:01:35,399
so um it was with a sense of urgency

31
00:01:35,399 --> 00:01:37,920
that we uh wanted to raise the

32
00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,280
conversation the priority level uh in

33
00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:43,760
Congress and particular here in the

34
00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:46,600
[Music]

35
00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:49,119
Senate sure well a lot of credit frankly

36
00:01:49,119 --> 00:01:51,560
goes to uh uh not just my colleague

37
00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:53,880
Senator Tina Smith on the Democratic

38
00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,039
side but uh my Republican colleagues

39
00:01:56,039 --> 00:01:59,479
Senator Tillis uh and Senator Ernst the

40
00:01:59,479 --> 00:02:02,240
four sort of the founding chairs of this

41
00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:04,880
caucus uh it was important to make it

42
00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:08,759
part bipartisan uh far too often issues

43
00:02:08,759 --> 00:02:12,239
uh become very partisan very quickly uh

44
00:02:12,239 --> 00:02:15,040
and it makes it harder to make progress

45
00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:17,720
uh as a result but uh you know mental

46
00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:19,920
health challenges No No Boundaries it's

47
00:02:19,920 --> 00:02:21,640
not a red State issue it's not a blue

48
00:02:21,640 --> 00:02:26,400
State issue it's a people issue uh and I

49
00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,200
give them credit for recognizing that uh

50
00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:31,040
and it was interesting is as soon as we

51
00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:33,519
approach the conversation about the idea

52
00:02:33,519 --> 00:02:34,800
the first thing just like you know your

53
00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:36,840
first question to me uh the first part

54
00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,519
of my response was not statistics and

55
00:02:39,519 --> 00:02:41,640
you know position papers but personal

56
00:02:41,640 --> 00:02:44,239
stories personal connections and it's

57
00:02:44,239 --> 00:02:46,599
become one of the first priorities of

58
00:02:46,599 --> 00:02:48,920
this caucus so how do we use this as a

59
00:02:48,920 --> 00:02:53,080
platform for people to share their stor

60
00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:56,120
uh and in so doing uh both deliver the

61
00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:58,319
message and maybe a little inspiration

62
00:02:58,319 --> 00:03:00,480
for anybody out there

63
00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:02,920
uh to uh to share theirs you know one of

64
00:03:02,920 --> 00:03:04,640
the big challenges that we have in

65
00:03:04,640 --> 00:03:07,000
improving uh mental health in America is

66
00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,640
overcoming stigma there's still far too

67
00:03:09,640 --> 00:03:11,080
many people that are either too

68
00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,360
embarrassed or shy or reluctant to come

69
00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:16,159
forward and ask for help when they need

70
00:03:16,159 --> 00:03:18,640
help because of the stigma around mental

71
00:03:18,640 --> 00:03:22,640
health uh we uh uh are working hard and

72
00:03:22,640 --> 00:03:24,319
again this is something I learned first

73
00:03:24,319 --> 00:03:26,640
from my wife Angela uh when somebody

74
00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:29,280
hurts their leg we don't hesitate to go

75
00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:30,799
get a check out by a doctor maybe you

76
00:03:30,799 --> 00:03:33,439
need an x-ray if uh you know you're

77
00:03:33,439 --> 00:03:35,159
you're suffering from a heart attack

78
00:03:35,159 --> 00:03:37,560
there's no shame in going to a doctor

79
00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:39,760
and to a hospital anding the care that

80
00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,400
you need but when it comes to uh when

81
00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:43,920
something may be wrong with the brain

82
00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:46,120
you know a very precious organ uh

83
00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:47,840
there's still that stigma so we need to

84
00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:50,040
overcome that stigma and a lot of that

85
00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:53,360
is by uh you know leading by example and

86
00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:55,319
willing to share our stories and being

87
00:03:55,319 --> 00:03:59,760
very public about experiences and uh uh

88
00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:01,120
you know that that's that's one of the

89
00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:05,280
first goals of the uh of the

90
00:04:05,570 --> 00:04:08,920
[Music]

91
00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:11,280
caucus the first thing I point to is our

92
00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:12,959
the first bill that we've introduced as

93
00:04:12,959 --> 00:04:16,880
a caucus uh recently the country rolled

94
00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:21,040
out a 988 system uh similar to 911 but a

95
00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:24,120
dedicated number easy to remember that

96
00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:25,960
anybody can call if you need somebody to

97
00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:28,919
speak to uh if you're in a crisis or

98
00:04:28,919 --> 00:04:31,479
observe somebody in a crisis uh there's

99
00:04:31,479 --> 00:04:34,840
somebody available to talk 247 uh in

100
00:04:34,840 --> 00:04:37,840
English or in Spanish uh or to text with

101
00:04:37,840 --> 00:04:40,759
247 in English or in Spanish to help

102
00:04:40,759 --> 00:04:44,240
walk you through uh a uh situation

103
00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:48,000
whether it's a crisis uh or

104
00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:52,840
[Music]

105
00:04:52,840 --> 00:04:56,039
not you know sort of big picture other

106
00:04:56,039 --> 00:04:59,160
uh priorities for the caucus uh are

107
00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:00,479
number one

108
00:05:00,479 --> 00:05:03,560
um you the the safer communities act

109
00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:07,320
that was uh passed and signed into law

110
00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:09,520
uh couple years ago now almost two years

111
00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:13,120
ago now included a huge amount of

112
00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:15,520
funding for mental health services

113
00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:17,520
across the country this was the bill

114
00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:19,720
that came after the shooting in nodi

115
00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:22,440
Texas uh you know some important pieces

116
00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:24,639
when it comes to gun safety that were

117
00:05:24,639 --> 00:05:27,759
approved on a bipartisan basis but this

118
00:05:27,759 --> 00:05:30,319
investment in mental health uh programs

119
00:05:30,319 --> 00:05:32,680
is hugely significant so want to make

120
00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:35,240
sure that those dollars are moving uh

121
00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:38,199
quickly uh appropriately strategically

122
00:05:38,199 --> 00:05:41,479
responsibly but uh quickly as well uh

123
00:05:41,479 --> 00:05:43,600
because of the need that's out there and

124
00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:45,199
then uh the last piece I'll just mention

125
00:05:45,199 --> 00:05:47,759
right now is our bipartisan recognition

126
00:05:47,759 --> 00:05:49,840
of the need to have a plan when it comes

127
00:05:49,840 --> 00:05:52,479
to Workforce uh if we're encouraging

128
00:05:52,479 --> 00:05:54,080
more people to seek help when they

129
00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:57,280
needed uh and uh to overcome the the

130
00:05:57,280 --> 00:06:00,319
stigma and reluctance uh to seek help

131
00:06:00,319 --> 00:06:01,600
then we need to make sure that there's

132
00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:03,880
enough you psychiatrists psychologists

133
00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,360
and counselors therapists and you know

134
00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:07,919
all the folks who work in the mental

135
00:06:07,919 --> 00:06:10,120
health space uh to be able to provide

136
00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:11,800
that support and to provide that level

137
00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:15,400
of service uh so having a a plan with

138
00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:18,280
some antenas for a Workforce Development

139
00:06:18,280 --> 00:06:20,570
uh is another

140
00:06:20,570 --> 00:06:23,759
[Music]

141
00:06:23,759 --> 00:06:25,560
priority one of the things that we

142
00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:28,520
recognize is not uh every person with a

143
00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:30,960
mental illness is home less not every

144
00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:33,520
person experiencing homelessness uh has

145
00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:34,919
a mental illness but there is

146
00:06:34,919 --> 00:06:37,960
significant significant overlap uh and

147
00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:40,440
so a lot of the the strategies at the

148
00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:43,759
Grassroots level will reflect that uh

149
00:06:43,759 --> 00:06:45,280
you know for all the emphasis there is

150
00:06:45,280 --> 00:06:47,759
on additional uh need for housing

151
00:06:47,759 --> 00:06:49,400
particularly affordable housing and

152
00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:52,120
transitional shelters that is important

153
00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:54,919
but it's really hard for uh to to bring

154
00:06:54,919 --> 00:06:57,400
somebody in from the outdoor sustainably

155
00:06:57,400 --> 00:06:59,199
if we're not also providing the mental

156
00:06:59,199 --> 00:07:03,200
he support uh that they

157
00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:06,560
[Music]

158
00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:08,639
need so funing we'll go to the states

159
00:07:08,639 --> 00:07:10,479
and we work with the states to uh

160
00:07:10,479 --> 00:07:12,280
recognize what are the priority areas

161
00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:14,960
and in California you know not just Los

162
00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:17,400
Angeles not just San Francisco but from

163
00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:20,800
San Diego to Sacramento to Fresno I mean

164
00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:24,039
I I don't know a medium to large siiz

165
00:07:24,039 --> 00:07:27,120
city that uh doesn't have uh this

166
00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:29,800
challenge of utilizing Mental Health

167
00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:34,919
Services uh as a core strategy in uh

168
00:07:34,919 --> 00:07:37,639
supporting the unhoused population uh uh

169
00:07:37,639 --> 00:07:40,760
come into affordable

170
00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:45,039
[Music]

171
00:07:45,039 --> 00:07:47,440
housing separate from the pocket itself

172
00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:50,440
I have my own piece of legislation that

173
00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:52,400
would seek to advance through

174
00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:56,520
Investments uh a culturally competent

175
00:07:56,520 --> 00:08:00,039
and linguistically competent Workforce

176
00:08:00,039 --> 00:08:01,639
as I mentioned earlier with more

177
00:08:01,639 --> 00:08:03,280
encouraging more people to seek help

178
00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:04,840
when more people seek help we need to

179
00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:07,080
make sure that we have the capacity to

180
00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:09,720
provide that support uh and not just

181
00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:12,080
more uh doctors and counselors

182
00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:15,159
therapists Etc but the the workforce

183
00:08:15,159 --> 00:08:17,400
that uh have the language and cultural

184
00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:22,160
competency to uh best serve that diverse

185
00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:25,280
[Music]

186
00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:27,639
population uh yes so again the the

187
00:08:27,639 --> 00:08:30,520
funding uh approved through the uh safer

188
00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:33,560
communities act from uh almost two years

189
00:08:33,560 --> 00:08:35,680
ago has significant amounts of the

190
00:08:35,680 --> 00:08:38,760
mental health uh dollars dedicated to

191
00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:41,800
schools you know it's a uh been a

192
00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:43,760
longtime effort to try to maintain a

193
00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:45,560
nurse in every school right whether it's

194
00:08:45,560 --> 00:08:47,839
Minister medications or you know putting

195
00:08:47,839 --> 00:08:50,040
you know Band-Aids on pets this is the

196
00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:52,320
father of three boys speaking you know

197
00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:54,360
it'd be a dream scenario to have a

198
00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:56,680
counselor or a therapist uh at every

199
00:08:56,680 --> 00:08:59,959
school or or ideally even a Wellness

200
00:09:00,759 --> 00:09:03,621
They're relatively new concepts 
in the United States

201
00:09:03,621 --> 00:09:07,820
but those that are proven to be
very helpful to students and communities

202
00:09:08,140 --> 00:09:11,999
But with resources 
we can expand that model

203
00:09:12,039 --> 00:09:14,150
much sooner rather than later.

204
00:09:14,295 --> 00:09:18,554
(Cheeful music)