On Thursday, July 14, 2022, Trust for America’s Health and Well Being Trust hosted, “Pain in the Nation: The Epidemics of Alcohol, Drug, and Suicide Deaths,” a national webinar discussing their recently released report titled the same thing. In 2020, deaths associated with alcohol, drugs, and suicide took the lives of 186,763 Americans, a 20
On Saturday, June 25th, 2022, President Biden signed the bipartisan gun safety package into law, the first major gun violence legislation passed in decades. The bill, titled the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, was released by Republican Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Democratic Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ). Fifteen
On Wednesday, June 15th, Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID), Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) released a discussion draft for youth mental health care policies. This discussion draft follows a Request for Information (RFI) in the fall of 2021 and four subsequent committee hearings. The
CWLA joins the country in mourning the tragedies of the past two weeks, first in Buffalo, NY, and now in Uvalde, TX. Once again, senseless gun violence strains our comprehension and calls into question what kind of country and society we want to become. The violence that took the lives of 19 children and two
On Wednesday, May 25th, 2022, youth serving organizations, in partnership with the Senate Caucus on Foster Youth, Congressional Foster Youth Caucus, and the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Caucus, held a briefing titled, "Lifting up Lived Expertise: Fixing the System with Their Solutions - A Virtual Congressional Briefing." During this powerful livestream, several young people with
Congress must pass legislation that addresses barriers to mental health care for youth and their families, including maternal mental health care, services and prevention for children and adolescents, Medicaid reform, and bolstering the workforce. Maternal mental health: postpartum depression affects up to 15% of women, and the negative short-and long-term effects on child development are
Tuesday, April 5th, 2022 the Health Subcommittee of the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on several important bills, including H.R. 7236, the Strengthening Kids' Mental Health Now Act. If enacted, H.R. 7236 would expand the availability of mental, emotional, and behavioral health services under the Medicaid program. This bipartisan legislation would bolster the infrastructure for
On Wednesday March 23rd, 2022, Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) led the Senate HELP Committee’s hearing: “Strengthening Federal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Programs: Opportunities, Challenges, and Emerging Issues.” The Committee members and witnesses discussed issues necessitating bipartisan legislation addressing the increasing severity of the mental health and substance use disorders prevailing across the country.
On Tuesday March 2nd, Georgetown University held a Lunch and Learn surrounding COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: Implication for Medicaid Coverage for MCH Populations. Panelists: Joan Alker, Executive Director and Co-Founder of University of Georgetown, University Center for Children and Families and Research Professor Tricia Brooks, Research Professor for the Georgetown University Center for Children and
On Monday, March 8, 2022, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), along with U.S. Representative Brenda L. Lawrence (D-MI) led a bipartisan, bicameral letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) asking for information to determine what additional resources states and territories need to ensure children in foster care
