U.S. Senator Baldwin visits FCC for roundtable discussion focusing on mental health
LA CROSSE, Wis. (LA CROSSE TRIBUNE) – Local medical professionals, educators and law enforcement met Thursday with U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, in La Crosse for a roundtable discussion on mental health.
Baldwin made the trip to La Crosse one day after announcing she would seek a third term to the U.S Senate. She said mental health needs to be a funding priority of both the public and private sectors.
“We’re only going to be able to get where we’re headed with the partnerships we’ve discussed,” Baldwin said.
The discussion was held at the La Crosse Family and Children’s Center, which received a $450,000 federal grant to expand the reach of behavioral health services. The center is a nonprofit agency designed to strengthen families and promote individual well-being.
Children’s Center president Tita Yutuc said mental health is central to the organization’s mission.
“It’s all about what we do,” Yutuc said. “We think if we can help people address their mental health concerns, we help individuals become healthier adults, and we have a healthier community altogether.”
Yutuc said the grant will fund outreach, education, equipment, technology and staffing.
Baldwin heard how federal mental health grants were being used by local law enforcement, schools and health care providers.
Several speakers expressed concern that funding is drying up for mental health programs even as the need for such services increases. They spoke of the lingering effects of COVID-19 and the social isolation it caused.
La Crosse mayor Mitch Reynolds said local communities must figure out how to fund mental health programs in the absence of grant money. He touted a La Crosse Police Department program that pairs police officers with mental health professionals.
“This is part of our community — it’s how we police now,” Reynolds said. “We have to prepare for when the grant ends.”
Baldwin said she’s optimistic federal funding can continue even in a time of high federal budget deficits.
“There is bipartisan support in the area of mental health, especially during a mental health crisis,” Baldwin said. “I don’t know if we can just say to a young person that you just need to be resilient. I think we can intervene in very appropriate and very cost-effective ways to provide the tools to be resilient throughout life.”
Article originally appeared on lacrossetribune.com on April 13, 2023.
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WXOW) — Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) made a stop at the La Crosse Family & Children’s Center Thursday, hosting a roundtable on mental health.
Baldwin discussed how organizations are using federal funding to expand mental health services in the La Crosse Area.
Those in attendance include representatives from the La Crosse Police Department, La Crosse School District, Gundersen Health System, Viterbo University and NAMI.
Baldwin said she was inspired by what these organizations have done with mental health resources but there’s still work to do, especially in rural areas.
“Telehealth and mental health treatment over telehealth – that helps when you are distant from the nearest provider,” Baldwin said. “To be able to get services in a way that also is often a win-win for the client.”
She added that as organizations expand their mental health resources, there needs to be a workforce to support it. That includes social workers, mental health workers and nurses.
Story originally aired on WXOW on April 13, 2023.
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WIZM) – She called the discussion was inspiring.
Police, educators and the mayor of La Crosse got together with US Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin on Thursday, to discuss mental health programs that can help the community.
Baldwin, who announced Wednesday she’d be running for reelection, took part in a roundtable meeting at the La Crosse Family and Children’s Center.
“What was so wonderful about this stop, and several others,” Baldwin said, “is how the community is coming together to rise to these challenges, even when there’s still shortages of resources, whether those are human or financial resources.”
The Democratic Senator took action in Washington putting $450,000 in the latest federal budget to provide the Family and Children’s Center to increase its mental health services.
Baldwin said she’s impressed with how local institutions collaborate to work on solutions, whether there’s much money to work with or not.
“These are collaborations that absolutely result in a stronger community, a healthier community, and frankly bottom-line, save lives,” Baldwin said.
Earlier in the day, Baldwin visited Durand, Wis., to check on an ambulance service project, which she helped provide $900,000 in federal money.
Story originally aired on WIZM News on April 13, 2023.
LA CROSSE (WKBT) — Senator Tammy Baldwin was in La Crosse Tuesday for a roundtable on mental health.
Senator Baldwin recently delivered federal funds to the community to expand behavioral health services, including: outreach, education, equipment, and technology.
The Democrat says these federal grant efforts have bipartisan support, and that it is important to continue to invest in these types of services.
“I feel even during fiscally constrained times that community leaders have made the argument that, you know, an ounce of prevention is more cost effective than a pound of cure” says Baldwin.
Baldwin also says that these grants allow local groups to create innovative, science-based programs that can then be continued with local funds.
Article originally appeared on news8000.com on April 13, 2023.
