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Naples Daily News recently published an editorial called, “It’s time for Legislature to improve Florida’s weak record on mental health” that includes comprehensive information about current mental health challenges and legislative initiatives — and encourages YOU to let our Legislators know the improvements you want in the state.

With suicide being the #2 cause of death for children and young adults, and with the grave toll of the opioid epidemic, we need to act now to ensure help is available for our families and friends!

The Legislators are back in Tallahassee working on the budget, so it is the opportune time to encourage their support to improve investments in mental health and substance use disorder treatment. It only takes a few minutes and can make a real impact for those struggling without access to care.

Contact your Southwest Florida lawmakers

E-mail your Southwest Florida lawmakers to let them know Florida needs a better strategy for children’s mental health services:

Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto: Benacquisto.Lizbeth@flsenate.gov

Sen. Kathleen Passidomo: Passidomo.Kathleen@flsenate.gov

Senator Ben Albritton: Albritton.Ben@flsenate.gov

Rep. Dane Eagle: Dane.Eagle@myfloridahouse.gov

Rep. Byron Donalds: Byron.Donalds@myfloridahouse.gov

Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen: Heather.Fitzenhagen@myfloridahouse.gov

Rep. Spencer Roach: Spencer.Roach@myfloridahouse.gov

Rep. Raymond Rodrigues: Ray.Rodrigues@myfloridahouse.gov

Rep. Ana Maria Rodriguez: AnaMaria.Rodriguez@myfloridahouse.gov

Rep. Bob Rommel: Bob.Rommel@myfloridahouse.gov

Here are some suggested comments to personalize as you wish:

“Mental illness treatment is something I really care about.  These conditions are real, life-threatening and non-discriminatory and they impact one in five children and adults.  Mental health issues and addiction challenges profoundly impact every family and as a state, Florida needs to do better!  As this article in Naples Daily News demonstrates, Florida continues to lack well behind literally every state in the union, and significantly so. Properly resourcing the system of care matters and will directly result in lives saved and changed.  I urge you, and your counterpart legislators, to enhance funding for community mental health organizations who are the safety net providers for those in great need with low to no resources.  These providers improve the health, well-being and safety of our communities and they can’t meet the great and growing needs without improved funding.  As you are right now in the process of prioritizing funding for the next Florida budget, please do everything you can to enhance mental health funding which is so desperately needed!”