Youth mental health advocates renew calls to action

I think most pediatricians now would say it’s in the 45 to 55 percent range. “He’s taking over our system and telling us that kids in America are not good,” she said.

Amy Wimpey Knight, president of the Children’s Hospital Association, said a universal concern is how to expand the mental health workforce, an issue Congress has addressed through hearings and bills.

“Most of the legislation that we support focuses specifically on ensuring that there is adequate staffing in the process,” she said. “I think the compensation rates are really challenging for people to train in this field and then stay in the field for a long time.”

Experts say if Congress adds a mental health component to the expected end-of-year spending package, it will need to include language specifically aimed at youth.

“There’s been a lot of great mental health legislation this year, but it’s not going to reach a child when it comes into the country,” Knight said. [and] check”