The Georgia Council on Substance Abuse congratulates Representatives David Trone (D-MD), Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) on establishing the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force, an effort to promote policies to combat the addiction and mental health crises in America.
The Georgia Council on Substance Abuse calls on every member of the Georgia Congressional Delegation to announce to the public that they are both joining the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force and will be an active member on this important Congressional task force.
Additionally, the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse encourages Congressman Trone and the bi-partisan leadership of the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force to consider Georgia for a site visit in coordination with the bi-partisan Georgia General Assembly Working Group on Addiction and Recovery.
“Addiction and mental illness are intrinsically linked, and the new Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force will allow Congress to focus on holistic solutions for addiction and co-occurring illnesses. The health and economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has created new barriers for Americans seeking affordable access to addiction and treatment for mental health issues; now is the time for Congress to make recovery a top priority,” said Neil Campbell, Executive Director of the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse.
“Georgia communities were already struggling with mental health and substance use issues prior to COVID-19 and the strain of the pandemic has increased those struggles exponentially. The people of Georgia expect our Congressional Delegation to make the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force a top priority in their service to the people of Georgia,” said Jeff Breedlove, Chief of Policy and Communications for the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse.
The Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force merges Representative Trone’s Freshmen Working Group on Addiction and the Bipartisan Opioid Task Force, which was co-chaired by Representative Kuster and Representative Fitzpatrick in the 116th Congress.
The Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force will host regular meetings with stakeholders, attend site visits, and create policies that will save lives. The Task Force’s first roundtable conversation will focus on the effects that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had on the state of addiction and mental health in America.
