Dear Friends,

This week, I joined the National Association of Counties for their Legislative Conference in D.C. During the conference, I was proud to share that I’ll be serving as co-chair for NACo’s new Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing.

The commission of 14 leaders will develop policy and programmatic recommendations at the federal level to address systemic issues that contribute to the mental health crisis affecting people of all ages. In 2021, nearly one in four U.S. adults and one in five adolescents experienced a mental illness. If we want to make a meaningful difference to address the mental health crisis in our communities, we need federal legislative action and commitment from counties across the nation. Lifting the federal limit on the number of beds we can have in our mental health treatment facilities and securing additional behavioral health resources has been one of my top priorities since taking office. If we want to mitigate homelessness, keep our communities safe, and develop our youth to their fullest potential, we must tackle barriers to mental health support.

Counties are well-positioned to lead action on the mental health crisis because we play an integral role in local health, justice, and human services systems. The responsibility of delivering mental health services often falls to counties, who serve as the nation’s safety net for residents in need, act as first responders, operate crisis lines, and manage public hospitals and detention centers. I’m ready to advance the work on this urgent issue in partnership with other county leaders across the nation.

Best wishes,

Kathryn Barger
Supervisor, Fifth District

Supervisor Kathryn Barger serves the residents of Los Angeles County’s 5th Supervisorial District, the county’s largest, spanning 2,785 square miles, which includes 20 cities and 83 unincorporated communities in the Santa Clarita, San Gabriel, San Fernando, Crescenta and Antelope valleys.