{"id":23983,"date":"2026-02-12T16:15:42","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T21:15:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/?p=23983"},"modified":"2026-02-12T16:15:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T21:15:45","slug":"wyden-merkley-introduce-bill-to-expand-mental-health-care-workforce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/wyden-merkley-introduce-bill-to-expand-mental-health-care-workforce\/","title":{"rendered":"Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bill to Expand Mental Health Care Workforce"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recent data from HHS highlights that more than half of all Americans live in a region lacking enough mental health professionals<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Washington DC<\/strong> \u2013 U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today said that they are introducing a bill that would bolster the behavioral and mental health care workforce by providing high school and community college students with educational opportunities to learn about and pursue good-paying jobs in the health care industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cA broken mental health care system is leaving millions of Americans struggling,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cThis bill takes a solid step to tackling our country\u2019s growing mental health crisis by increasing the number of providers to meet the growing needs of communities in Oregon and nationwide.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIn my conversations\u00a0all across\u00a0our state,\u00a0I hear\u00a0about\u00a0the struggles of finding\u00a0mental health care services.\u00a0We\u00a0need an all-hands-on-deck approach to tackle\u00a0this\u00a0crisis,\u201d\u00a0Merkley said.\u00a0\u201cThe\u00a0Mental Health Career Promotion Act<\/em>\u00a0will grow the pipeline of future mental health professionals by expanding access to quality training and educational opportunities.\u00a0I\u2019ll\u00a0keep fighting to ensure all Americans can access the mental health care they need and deserve.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Data shows<\/a> Oregon lagging behind much of the country in addressing the ongoing youth mental health crisis. Nationwide, two in five students report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness within the last 30 days, and one in five reported in 2023<\/a> they have seriously considered attempting suicide.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students struggling with mental health are often left untreated because they do not know where to seek help, and there are not enough trained professionals to meet the growing demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

El Mental Health Career Promotion Act <\/em>would help address these challenges by: <\/p>\n\n\n\n