AACAP Statement in Support of President Biden’s Commitment to Youth Mental Health
WASHINGTON, DC, February 9, 2023 - The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) applauds President Biden’s continued commitment to youth mental health as outlined in his Unity Agenda and in his 2023 State of the Union Address.
AACAP is grateful for Congress’ investments in children’s mental health, but our collective work is not yet done. As highlighted in the President’s State of the Union address, there remain opportunities for bipartisan progress toward improving access to pediatric behavioral healthcare including:
- Enforcing mental health parity laws,
- Building a robust workforce and increasing school-based mental health professionals,
- Investing in crisis services, including 9-8-8 implementation,
- Extending access to telehealth, and
- Supporting the health and well-being of our behavioral health workforce.
“This mental health crisis is very real and will continue to worsen without swift and sustained action, “comments AACAP President, Warren Ng, MD. “We applaud the commitment of the Administration and of Congress in responding to this crisis. AACAP’s 10,000+ child and adolescent psychiatrist members are fully committed to finding solutions to end this national crisis and to protect America’s youth, families, and communities.”,/p>
AACAP, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Children’s Hospital Association jointly declared a national emergency in children’s mental health in October 2021.
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The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry promotes the healthy development of children, adolescents, and families through advocacy, education, and research. Child and adolescent psychiatrists are the leading physician authority on children’s mental health. For more information, please visit www.aacap.org