Representative Adriano Espaillat Urges Increased Funding for School-based Mental Health Access for BIPOC Youth

Press Release

NEW YORK, NY -- Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) recently introduced a resolution calling on Congress to support mental health access to Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) youth by funding school-based mental health services.

"The rate of suicide among BIPOC youth is alarming, and it is critical we address this issue on the national level so families and schools across our communities have the necessary resources needed to combat this crisis," said Rep. Espaillat. "The global public health pandemic ravaged the mental health and wellness of our communities, and there is a clear cry for help among BIPOC youth who were impacted at disproportionately higher rate than their peers. Black children under the age of 13 are dying by suicide at nearly twice the rate of their White counterparts and suicide is the leading cause of death among AAPI children. Additionally, insufficient mental health services paired with the stigma surrounding those very resources has contributed to what we are now witnessing as a mental health tsunami among American youth with effects growing even more rapidly among youth of color. We have a responsibility to support our vulnerable populations--and my resolution ensures we do not leave BIPOC youth behind in our efforts to address mental health needs for all."

Espaillat's legislation, H. Res 1217 - Addressing the National Crisis of Suicide Among Minority Youth, acknowledges the need to remedy current deficiencies in our nation's mental system, particularly to address the needs of minority youth. Rep. Espaillat is urging for federal funding to be directed toward organizations who persistently work to close racial and socioeconomic disparities in mental health services across this nation, and specifically calls on Congress to ensure that school based mental health services are adequately funded.

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