Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo, M.D. (CO-08), the only doctor representing Colorado in Congress, recently announced her latest efforts to address the urgent youth mental health crisis. In response to mounting evidence that children and young people in Colorado are struggling with mental health disorders at an unprecedented rate, Caraveo has co-sponsored a bipartisan House resolution declaring a mental health crisis among youth in the United States and emphasizing the critical need for historic investments in mental health care for students. She has also co-sponsored the bipartisan Mental Health Services for Students Act, which supports school-based mental health services including screening, treatment, and outreach programs.
“More young people than ever are struggling with mental health problems exacerbated by social media, pandemic isolation, and anxiety about issues like our changing climate,” said Congresswoman Caraveo. “As a pediatrician who has dedicated my life to improving children’s health, I cannot stand idly by while this mental health crisis devastates the next generation. I am proud to co-sponsor two bipartisan bills that recognize the urgency of this issue and provide resources to get kids and young adults the mental health support they need.”
Reports of mental health issues among children and young people have skyrocketed in recent years, including in Colorado. A 2023 report from the Colorado Children’s Campaign reveals that the percentage of Coloradans aged 18 and under reporting prolonged periods of poor mental health has more than doubled over the past six years. Between 2016 and 2021, mental health-related visits to emergency rooms by children increased by 140 percent, with visits for self-harm among children more than tripling during the same period.
The surge in mental health disorders among children coincides with a shortage of qualified mental health professionals capable of providing young people with the necessary care. At the start of the 2022-23 school year, Colorado school districts reported 278 vacant positions for school psychologists and counselors. Children living in rural areas face particularly significant challenges when it comes to accessing mental health resources.
To address this alarming trend, Congresswoman Caraveo has co-sponsored H.Res.434 – a bipartisan resolution declaring a mental health crisis among youth in the United States and emphasizing the critical need for historic investments in mental health care for students. The resolution, introduced by Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA-6), recognizes the urgency of tackling this crisis and offers recommendations for actions that federal, state, and local governments, as well as local educational agencies, schools, and community organizations, should take to support young people experiencing mental health disorders.
Caraveo also co-sponsored H.R.3713 – the Mental Health Services for Students Act, introduced by Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA-31). This bipartisan legislation supports school-based mental health services including screening, treatment, and outreach programs. By providing increased federal funding for mental health services in schools, the bill will help students with preventable or treatable mental illnesses gain access to the services they need.
Caraveo is also a member of the Bipartisan Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder Task Force. Congresswoman Dr. Caraveo is a first generation American whose parents immigrated to Colorado from Chihuahua. She has served Colorado families as a pediatrician for over a decade and as a member of the state House. She is now the first Latina congressperson in Colorado’s history and the first representative of CO-08, Colorado’s newest congressional seat. She serves on the House Agriculture and House Science, Space, & Technology Committees.
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