Gov. Wolf talks mental health care with visit to Lehigh Valley

Pennsylvania’s need for increased access to mental health care was the focus of Gov. Wolf’s visit to the Lehigh Valley on Jan. 3.  As part of a new mental health initiative called Reach Out PA: Your Mental Health Matters, Wolf spoke with mental health advocates, providers, legislators, and others at a roundtable at Muhlenberg College in Allentown.

“It’s incredibly important to hear from the people on the front lines of mental wellness care,” Gov. Wolf said.

Those joining the governor for the round table included U.S. Congresswoman Susan Wild (D-Lehigh), Pennsylvania Representatives Mike Schlossberg (D-Allentown) and Pete Schweyer (D-Lehigh), Dr. Rachel Levine, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Thomas Parker, superintendent of the Allentown School District and Mike Slack, CEO of KidsPeace, a pediatric behavioral health hospital based in Orefield.

“If my own experience about talking about my own depression and anxiety challenges have taught me anything, it’s that these conversations matter deeply,” said Schlossberg. “They can better inform government officials about what we need to do to reform our behavioral health care system. More importantly, they can shape public conversations about mental health. The public has to realize that emotional challenges are every bit of deserving of our compassion, care and investment as physical ones, and I applaud the governor for leading this effort.”

According to the state, additional roundtable discussions throughout Pennsylvania will be scheduled as part of the Reach Out PA initiative and announced in the coming weeks.