Mental Healthcare
I believe that having good mental health is critical to one’s success, that it should be treated as any other illness, and not stigmatized by society. Poor mental health is not restrictive to race, occupation, or faith, nor is it bound to suburban, urban, or rural communities. Too often we find ourselves weighed down by the challenges of life - whether it be attributed to bullying, unemployment, lack of affordable housing, divorce, returning from military deployment, LGBTQIA+ disparagement, and unfortunately so much more.
Mental health issues are not always recognizable as they can be easily masked by some. The effects of poor mental health can lead to loss of jobs, substance abuse, loss of family ties, and in extreme cases the loss of life. Poor mental health oftentimes appears to be confined to the individual, yet the results, more often than not, affect the broader community. Whether it be seen through the rise of modern day school shootings or the wave of farmer's who committed suicide in the 1980's resulting from the financial crisis, mental health should be seen as a social concern for all citizens.
Having experienced the loss of a brother-in-law to suicide, I know the importance of proper diagnosis and having access to mental health clinicians and treatment service providers.