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BISMARCK, ND (KFYR) – Anyone can find themselves experiencing a mental health crisis. Mental health issues are common and may be exacerbated by the loss, decline in physical well-being, or substance abuse experienced during the pandemic. The CDC reports that the number of people seeking services for mental health issues has increased over the past two years.
That’s why Congresswoman Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) met with the North Dakota Mental Health Counseling Association on Thursday to find out how we can provide services to people in our state.
Armstrong said his grandfather was head of the North Dakota Mental Health Association for 20 years and answered a suicide hotline to help others.
It’s something that I think, to be honest, I think North Dakota has led the way and I think the community as a whole has moved faster than I could have in realizing that mental health and addiction are not only treatable, but treatable. He was punished,” said Congresswoman Kelly Armstrong (R-ND).
He says that while things have changed since his grandmother’s time in terms of eliminating stigma and care, there is still a lot of work to be done.
The group discussed whether or not they had access to timely care in North Dakota. Possible solutions include more telehealth opportunities, educational opportunities to build a professional workforce, and scaling up services in tribal and rural communities.
“It’s not just the cost to the person concerned. Spouse, mother or brother, or sister and days lost in the economy and all that are different issues. One, if you can detect it early, you can treat it. And two, you can bring people back into society,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong said many people on both sides of the aisle care about it.
The House passed the bipartisan Mental Health Act this year Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Welfare Act) by a vote of 402 to 20.
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