WeHa Lawmaker Pledges Support For Children's Mental Health Help

WEST HARTFORD/HARTFORD/AVON, CT — A West Hartford lawmaker who also serves Avon is hosting a special forum in Hartford Thursday on children's mental health.

The issue is near and dear to state Rep. Tammy Exum, D-West Hartford, who serves as the representative of the 19th House District, which encompasses parts of West Hartford and Avon.

Exum will host a Children’s Mental Health Parent Forum on Thursday, May 25, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in Room 310 at the State Capitol, 210 Capitol Ave., Hartford.

Her forum is on the heals of the recent Connecticut School Health Survey, which showed a significant increase in youth reporting that they felt sad and hopeless and fewer teens who felt like they could get the help when they need it.

At the forum, people will hear from parents who are waiting for their child to receive mental health services and from providers who will share actions policymakers can take to reduce wait times and increase services for families.

There will also be discussion to address how to improve access to children’s mental health services.

Exum, who is vice chair of the appropriations committee and a deputy majority leader, said she hopes lawmakers follow through on the promise they made to address the children’s mental crisis.

“I want to finish what we started with HB 5001 and the two Senate bills last year by prioritizing funding for children’s mental health," said Exum.

Exum is a co-author of HB 5001, which along with SB 1 and SB 2 was one of three children’s mental health bills passed in 2022 by the Connecticut General Assembly and signed into the law by Gov. Ned Lamont one year ago today.

She said she wants to ensure funding is in the upcoming biennial budget to continue to implement the most important aspects of the legislation.

“Legislation in recognition of the children’s mental health crisis was a bipartisan priority and victory last session, which is why it should be an easy bipartisan budget inclusion this session, so that progress doesn’t evaporate,” said Exum.

“We can’t tell children and parents that we saw and heard them in 2022 only to turn away and cover our ears in 2023.”

For more information on state Rep. Tammy Exum, D-West Hartford, click on this link.