FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
22 June 2022
Contact: Kevin McGuire, 202-538-2386 (mobile)
Washington D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44) joined her colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act. This is a comprehensive bipartisan mental health package that includes legislation by Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), the TRIUMPH for New Moms Act. The TRIUMPH for New Moms Act would create a national strategy to address maternal mental health and substance use disorders impacting new mothers, and integrate maternal mental health into existing maternal, infant, and mental health activities on the federal level.
“It is important that we protect the health of new and expecting moms and their families at the most vulnerable time in their lives. Tragically, suicide and overdose are the leading causes of death for new mothers,” said Rep. Barragán. “In Los Angeles County, one in four new moms experience maternal mental health conditions. Across the state of California, nearly three in four moms experiencing maternal depression never received counseling or treatment. And women of color experience maternal mental health conditions at nearly double the rate of white women. We have an obligation to tackle this crisis head on, and I am proud the House passed a comprehensive mental health package that includes the TRIUMPH for New Moms Act. The maternal mental health crisis has placed an enormous strain on parents, families, and communities everywhere. This critical and necessary legislation would improve coordination and collaboration between agencies to make sure governments are equipped with best practices, cross-departmental partnerships, and a focus on mental health care integration. By passing this bill, Congress is taking needed action to improve maternal mental health for parents and families in California’s 44th Congressional District and throughout our nation.”
The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act reauthorizes and strengthens federal programs focused on addressing America’s mental health and substance use disorder crisis. Earlier today, Rep. Barragán joined First Lady of the United States Jill Biden and youth at the White House to discuss the importance of doing more and doing better for our children. In addition to the TRIUMPH for New Moms Act, the bill includes provisions to address the youth mental health crisis. It also would establish a federal Behavioral Health Crisis Coordinating Office, expand behavioral health workforce training, improve behavioral health integration into primary care, improve funding for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and require self-funded health plans to comply with mental health parity laws. Finally, It also expands access to lifesaving medication-assisted treatment and provider training to help Americans recover from opioid addiction, and significantly strengthens Medicaid behavioral health services for children.
Nanette Diaz Barragán is proud to represent California’s 44th Congressional District, which includes the communities of Carson, Compton, Florence-Firestone, Lynwood, North Long Beach, Rancho Dominguez, San Pedro, South Gate, Walnut Park, Watts, Willowbrook and Wilmington. She serves as chairwoman of the House Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Border Security, and on the House Energy and Commerce Health, Energy, and Environment & Climate Change Subcommittees.