Rep. Gabe Vasquez Reaffirms Commitment to Expanding Access to Mental Health Care on World Mental Health Day

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today, on World Mental Health Day, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring every New Mexican has access to affordable, high-quality mental and behavioral health care by championing a package of behavioral health bills.

New Mexico faces one of the nation's highest rates of suicide and behavioral health workforce shortages, challenges that hit rural and Tribal communities in southern New Mexico especially hard. Vasquez, who represents one of the most diverse and geographically vast districts in the country, has made tackling these disparities a cornerstone of his work in Congress.

"Access to high quality, affordable mental health care shouldn't depend on your income or your ZIP code," said Vasquez. "In New Mexico and across the country, too many families are struggling in silence. Whether it's a veteran fighting PTSD, a student dealing with anxiety, or a senior facing isolation, everyone deserves access to the help they need and the hope they deserve."

As a member of the Bipartisan Mental Health Caucus, Vasquez has championed a series of bills to strengthen behavioral health services, expand access to care, and better equip communities to respond to mental and behavioral health needs.

His mental health legislative package includes:

• H.R. 3808, the Expanding Seniors Access to Mental Health Services Act, which allows Medicare to reimburse clinical social workers providing behavioral health services in nursing homes and other care facilities.
• H.R. 2502, the Law Enforcement Training for Mental Health Crisis Response Act, which funds mental and behavioral health crisis response training for law enforcement and corrections officers.
• H.R. 3534, the Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program Act, which addresses the shortage of school-based counselors, social workers, and psychologists by supporting graduate students entering those fields.
• H.R. 1231, the START Housing Act, which expands recovery housing and wraparound support for individuals transitioning out of substance use treatment - particularly in New Mexico, where the Recovery Housing Program already operates successfully.

Vasquez has also led efforts to protect Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs), such as FYI+ in Las Cruces and Lifehouse in Carlsbad, by urgingHealth and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy to protect the CCBHC Expansion Grant Program.

In recognition of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month this past September, Vasquez also supported H.Res. 551, expressing bipartisan support for National Stop SuiSilence Day, aimed at breaking mental health stigmas and encouraging those struggling to seek help.

Vasquez is committed to working across party lines to ensure that from Silver City to Hobbs, every family can find quality, affordable mental health care close to home.

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