Issue Position: Addressing Mental Health

Issue Position

Mental illness touches all of our families and communities. Whether it's the challenges we face from gun violence, Veterans returning from combat with service related illnesses, or homelessness -- mental health is often the root of the problem. Based on his work in the criminal justice system, Jimmy witnessed the untold suffering and unmet needs of those with mental health issues. Jimmy believes that we need to break down the stigma of seeking treatment for mental disorders, expand access for care, get the homeless off the streets and into housing with supportive services, and to support people in their road to recovery. We must also expand treatment in our VA Clinics and develop more community mental health centers on the Central Coast. Jimmy's goal is to ensure that we include mental health care in our schools for early intervention and in our substance abuse treatment programs -- and ultimately make mental health programs both accessible and affordable.

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