Reducing barriers to mental health treatment

Growing up in rural Iowa, mental health struggles were not something we spoke about openly or took seriously in any way. Most of my time outside school was spent working or playing sports, and there was never any time to address mental health — there was always something “more important” that needed to be taken care of.

It was especially unheard of at the time to think that a mental illness could be just as disabling as a physical injury.

I have struggled with suicidal thoughts since I was 9 years old and went without any sort of professional care or treatment for over two decades. From my experience, I know that professional intervention can have lifechanging results, and one of my priorities as a legislator has always been to ensure those su ering from mental illnesses are able to access care that is as high quality as it is a ordable.

To further this goal, I was a prime