Representative Adriano Espaillat Urges Increased Federal Funding to Address Youth Suicide and School-based Mental Health Access

WASHINGTON, DC – Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) recently introduced a resolution calling on Congress to support mental health access to Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) youth in recognition of September as National Suicide Prevention Month.

“The rate of suicide among minority youth is alarming and should remain at the forefront of our national conversations when addressing youth mental health and access to suicide prevention programs,” said Rep. Espaillat. “Families should not have to face this crisis aloneand we should work to provide the necessary resources needed to combat this crisis that threatens the well-being of our children and the future stability of our communities. There is clearly a cry for help among BIPOC youth, who are facing this crisis at disproportionately higher rates than their peers. Black children under the age of 13 are dying by suicide at nearly twice the rate of their White counterparts and suicide is the leading cause of death among AAPI children. Additionally, insufficient mental health services paired with the stigma surrounding those very resources has contributed to what we are now witnessing as a mental health tsunami among American youth with effects growing even more rapidly among youth of color. We have a responsibility to support our vulnerable populations—and my resolution ensures we do not leave BIPOC youth behind in our efforts to address mental health needs for all.”

Click here to read Rep. Espaillat’s resolution in its entirety.