Dads Caucus Mental Health Working Group Chair Menendez and Dads Caucus Chair Gomez Lead Roundtable on Family Mental Health

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Rob Menendez (NJ-08), who serves as Chair of the Congressional Dads Caucus Mental Health Working Group, and Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Chair of the Congressional Dads Caucus, led a roundtable on building a more pro-family mental health system for families across America. Menendez and Gomez hosted experts and advocates in the mental health field to discuss the challenges facing families and how we can alleviate barriers to mental health services and care.

"Mental health is a family issue and we must address it with the sense of urgency in Congress that it deserves," said Congressman Menendez. "Chair Gomez and I brought together experts in the mental health field to discuss solutions to support those dealing with mental health concerns, rising costs of treatment, and how to help families navigating these challenges. No one should face these issues alone, and I will always fight for better resources and support for parents and children who need it."

"I want to thank my colleague, Congressman Rob Menendez, for leading this month's Dads Caucus meeting," said Dads Caucus Chair Rep. Jimmy Gomez. "Rep. Menendez has been a strong advocate for families and understands that supporting parents and kids means supporting their mental health too. Together, we'll keep working to build a future where every family has access to the support and care they need to thrive."

"Every family in our nation is impacted by mental health, and it is critical to include supporting parents and caregivers when exploring how we respond to the mental health crisis in our country," said Michael Linskey of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. "NAMI is grateful to the Dads Caucus for highlighting the need to support families in our nation's mental health care system, and for hosting this important conversation today to explore how we can work together to help families get the mental health care they need."

"The Congressional Dad's Caucus is elevating the urgency of ensuring that all children have access to effective mental health support," said Dr. Eric Rossen, Executive Director of the National Association of School Psychologists. "Sustained federal leadership and investment are essential to expanding safe, supportive, and evidence-based school mental health services. Access to school psychologists and other school-based professionals helps schools support student learning, well-being, and long-term success."

"The issue of affordability is widespread, and parents are being forced to make tradeoffs-especially given that, in less than a decade, the annual cost of child care for two young children has increased by 40 percent, outpacing the cost of rent across states," said Heather Sandstrom, senior fellow at the Urban Institute. "Parents are contemplating where to live, how many children to have, and the type of child care arrangements they can afford. These decisions are stressful and contributing to rising anxiety and depression. Smart policy solutions are needed so families no longer struggle but rather thrive in a growing economy."

In addition to Congressman Menendez and Congressman Gomez, the following Members of Congress were present at the roundtable:

• Rep. Steven Horsford (NV-04)
• Rep. James Walkinshaw (VA-11)
• Rep. Tim Kennedy (NY-26)

Congressman Menendez and Congressman Gomez's roundtable included the following policy experts:

• Dr. Eric Rossen, Executive Director, National Association of School Psychologists
• Tim Clement, Vice President of Federal Government Affairs, Mental Health America
• Michael Linskey, Director of Congressional Affairs, National Alliance on Mental Illness
• Heather Sandstrom, Senior Fellow, Research Early Childhood Practice Area Lead, The Urban Institute

Congressman Menendez is a co-founder of the Congressional Dads Caucus. In addition to serving as Chair of the Congressional Dads Caucus Mental Health Working Group, Menendez is a Vice Chair of the Men's Health Caucus.

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