Governor Evers has declared 2023 The Year of Mental Health and has included in his budget $500 million to expand access to mental and behavioral health for children and adults. Advocating for this funding is the most immediate and effective action we can take to improve children’s mental health in our state. Contact the members of the Joint Finance Committee to voice your support for children’s mental health in the state budget.
What to Say
You can share your personal connection to mental wellness, or copy and paste the text below into an email and personalize with your name and residence.
|
| I'm [NAME] from [COUNTY OR CITY] and I'm contacting you regarding the status of youth mental health and well-being in Wisconsin. Recent data shows that one in three teens in Wisconsin feel sad or hopeless every day and one in two struggles with anxiety. One in five children in our state have a diagnosed mental health condition, but less than half of those diagnosed access treatment. We know that mental health treatment works, especially when it is provided at school. To support the youth in our state struggling with anxiety and hopelessness, I urge you to consider the following State Budget items, identified by the Wisconsin Office of Children's Mental Health as most critical: - Comprehensive School Mental Health Aid
- School Mental Health Staff Reimbursement
- Medicaid Behavioral Health Services Rate Increases
- Coverage Requirement
- Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility Grant Program
- Youth Crisis Stabilization Facilities Funding
- Medicaid Certified Peer Specialists Expansion
- Support for Child Care Setting Behavioral Issues
- Wisconsin After 3 Program
These Budget items will work to increase access to quality mental health services and ensure a more complete continuum of care for children across the state. Please read more about why these budget items will help Wisconsin families: https://children.wi.gov/Documents/SpecialEvent/OCMH%202023-24%20Budget%20flyer.pdf Investing in youth mental health will allow Wisconsin's children to be healthier, increase their school attendance, improve their academic performance, and be better prepared for employment as adults which will lead to prosperity for all of Wisconsin.
Thank you for your consideration of supporting these initiatives.
|
Who to Contact: Joint Finance Committee Members
Find more ways to take action at our Children's Mental Health Week 2023 page!
If you have difficulty accessing our materials, or using our website, please let us know by emailing OCMH@wi.gov. We take digital accessibility seriously and welcome the opportunity to remove any barriers in accessing content.