On Tuesday, our president made bold claims of his administration’s desire to end the opioid crisis that has plagued our nation for generations. A number of bills sit on the congress floor waiting to pass ranging from the MAT Act (S.445 – 117th Congress 2021-2022; the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act of 2021) to the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 (S.2680 – 115th Congress 207-2018).
In his first State of the Union, the President outlined a unity agenda consisting of policy where there has historically been support from both Republicans and Democrats, and call on Congress to send bills to his desk to deliver progress for the American people. As part of this unity agenda, he announced a strategy to address our national mental health crisis.
Our country faces an unprecedented mental health crisis among people of all ages. Two out of five adults report symptoms of anxiety or depression. Even before the pandemic, rates of depression and anxiety were inching higher.
President Biden is laying out a vision to transform how mental health is understood, perceived, accessed, treated, and integrated – in and out of health care settings. The American Rescue Plan laid the groundwork, providing critical investments to expand access to mental health services. Now, far more is needed to ensure that everyone who needs help can access care when and where they seek it.
The President is announced a national mental health strategy to strengthen system capacity, connect more Americans to care, and create a continuum of support –transforming our health and social services infrastructure to address mental health holistically and equitably.
“If you’re suffering from addiction, know you are not alone. I believe in recovery, and I celebrate the 23 million Americans in recovery,” President Joe Biden passionately said in his State of the Union Address. Alexandra Nyman, the founder of LadyCat and Break Free NYFW stands with the Biden-Harris administration and pledges to use her platforms Break Free and Soberocity to continue to spread awareness for mental health and substance use disorders. As well as to support this initiative and these conversations in any way she and her organization can.
“The Biden administration’s leadership gives me and many thought leaders and members of the recovery community hope that we will end the addiction crisis – LadyCat and Break Free NYFW stands ready to contribute in any way we can to assist in this initiative,” Alexandra Nyman, Founder of LadyCat and Break Free NYFW.
If you or a loved one is struggling here are some resources LadyCat recommends:
https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
https://www.drugfree.org
https://nami.org