Edie Hooton (D)
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Do you support school policies and funding that increase the availability of mental health services in schools and early childhood settings?
- Yes: As with any health condition of concern, early detection and treatment saves lives, reduces pain and suffering, and saves significant cost public and private.
Do you support additional funding for follow-up care for individuals after a suicide attempt or overdose?
- Yes: Absolutely. This is the greatest opportunity to change the trajectory of a person’s life by identifying the source(s) of despair and intervening. Follow-up care is both humane and cost effective.
Do you support extreme risk protection orders?
- Yes: Yes. It allows law enforcement to remove a firearm(s) from someone in a crisis situation who is threatening the lives of others or him or herself. It would turn a potential crime scene into an intervention scene where lives are saved and support to prevent a reoccurrence
Do you support strengthening laws and transparency requirements compelling insurance companies to provide coverage for the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders that is equal to the coverage provided for a physical illness?
- Yes: The cost of untreated mental health and substance use disorders not only burden the individual, family and community, but also our public safety and corrections system.
Do you support strengthening requirements that insurance companies have enough mental health and substance use professionals to guarantee their members have a choice of provider?
- Yes
Do you support requirements that hospitals and other providers report information on treatment availability to help individuals, hospitals and law enforcement locate available treatment for people in crisis?
- Yes
Do you support providing state funds to expand capacity for mental health and substance use treatment in underserved areas of the state?
- Yes
Do you support additional state investments in affordable housing with supportive services for people with mental health or substance use disorders?
- Yes: Skilled nursing facilities that take medicaid patients are terribly underfunded which is why I successfully ran an amendment to our state budget with bipartisan support. There is limited space and I have a lot more to say, but let’s just leave it at this: Treating mental health issues as a serious public health crisis that requires public and private awareness and funding, is a cause I am committed to supporting 110% at the State Capitol.
