Kuster Urges Bolstered Support for Youth Mental Health Services During Energy & Commerce Hearing

Press Release

Today, Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02), a member of the Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, participated in a subcommittee hearing entitled, "Putting Kids First: Addressing COVID-19's Impacts on Children." During the hearing, Rep. Kuster heard from public health experts and witnesses about youth mental health and urged action from Congress to bolster access to mental health resources.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that between April and October of 2020, there was a 24 percent increase in the proportion of mental health emergency department visits for kids ages 5 to 11 compared with the same period in 2019. Last month, Rep. Kuster visited the Mountain Valley Treatment Center in Plainfield, N.H., to hear about their work specializing in the treatment of adolescent anxiety and OCD.

"The pandemic has taken a tremendous toll on our nation's health, including the mental health of children and adolescents, who were already facing a growing mental health crisis before COVID-19," said Rep. Kuster. "That's why I'm proud to support the Build Back Better Act, which includes $36 billion for public health infrastructure, including investments in behavioral health centers and training for the next generation of health care providers. I'll continue working to bolster investment in youth mental health so that every child, as well as their families, teachers, and medical providers, gets the support they need."

"Since our opening in the Fall of 2011, Mountain Valley Treatment Center has seen a meteoric spike in the acuity of the challenges facing the adolescents and young adults who seek treatment with us," said Carl Lovejoy, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Mountain Valley Treatment Center. "Working specifically with a population struggling with debilitating anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and depression, I have seen firsthand the dire need for quality mental health care for New Hampshire's youth. I trust that Annie Kuster and her colleagues in Washington will give bipartisan support to initiatives that address this most important issue."

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, Rep. Kuster has been a leading voice in Congress to promote public health and safety. She helped to pass critical funding through the CARES Act and American Rescue Plan Act to support pandemic response efforts and help businesses and organizations continue serving the public safely, as well as get kids back in school. She is currently working to advance the Build Back Better Act -- which passed the Energy and Commerce Committee last week -- to deliver critical priorities for New Hampshire families.

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