Rock Island Today

WASHINGTON, DC - On June 8, Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) along with Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-03) and Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15) introduced The Pride in Mental Health Act to improve mental health supports for at-risk LGBTQI+ youth.  

“There is a mental health crisis among LGBTQI+ youth across the United States and we need to do a better job supporting this vulnerable community,” said Sorensen. “I am proud to help introduce The Pride in Mental Health Act, which ensures that LGBTQI+ youth get the mental health care and resources they need so we can save lives.” 

Specifically, the Pride in Mental Health Act: 

• Increases mental health supports for LGBTQI+ youth by developing mental health resources, training for caregivers, school bullying prevention guidelines, and more. 
• Protects at-risk youth by commissioning a report on the mental health and mental health care of LGBTQI+ youth in foster care and other federal social services programs. 
• Directs the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to review and update resources listed on their website that pertain to LGBTQI+ communities.

"Youth here in Kansas and across the country continue to struggle with mental health challenges, but we are failing many of our most vulnerable children on this issue," said Davids."My Pride in Mental Health Act takes a comprehensive and data-driven approach to tackling the mental health crisis among youth in the LGBTQI+ community. To put it simply, by increasing access to mental health supports for our children and teens, we are saving lives." 

“According to the Trevor Project this year, nearly one in three LGBTQI+ youth say their mental health is poor most of the time or always due to hateful anti-LGBTQI+ policies and legislation,” said Torres. “This is both heartbreaking and a call to action. As someone who’s struggled with my own mental health much of my life and as the first openly gay Afro Latino elected to Congress, I’m proud to co-lead the Pride in Mental Health Act to improve access to services for at-risk LGBTQI+ youth, who deserve safe and affirming environments and resources to learn, grow, and thrive as their authentic selves.” 

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey of American teenagers recently found that LGBTQI+ students report significantly worse mental health than other students. Also, nearly half of gay, lesbian, and bisexual teens said they considered committing suicide in the last year. The Pride in Mental Health Act works to close LGBTQI+ mental health information gaps and improve physical and mental health in at-risk youth. 

The Pride in Mental Health Act has been endorsed by the Congressional Equality Caucus, Human Rights Campaign, GLSEN, National Education Association (NEA), National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), PFLAG National, American Psychological Association (APA), Whitman-Walker Institute, interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), The Trevor Project, Seattle Indian Health Board, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

Congressman Eric Sorensen is the first openly LGBTQ person elected to represent Illinois at the federal level and is a member of the New Democrat Coalition. He serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Prior to serving in Congress, Sorensen was a local meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities for nearly 20 years. His district includes Illinois’ Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal. 

Original source can be found here.