The Sandy Hook Promise has endorsed a bipartisan bill that aims to reform mental healthcare at the national level.
U.S. Senators Chris Murphy, D-Conn. and Bill Cassidy, R-La have proposed the Mental Health Reform Act of 2015.
The bill would establish a grant program focused on early intervention for children who display risk factors related to mental illness.
It would also implement a Serious Mental Illness (SMI) Coordinating Committee to document and promote research and treatment.
The bill would also strengthen care through the Medicaid and Medicare systems.
“By addressing the need for better mental health care, Senators Murphy and Cassidy are leading a meaningful effort to help millions of Americans in need of assistance,” said Nicole Hockley, managing director for Sandy Hook Promise. ”As an organization that deals with the issue of gun violence every day, we know all too well that though only a small percentage of people with mental illness will go on to hurt themselves or someone else, the damage they can do is enormous. Early identification, intervention and help is needed to prevent gun violence before it happens.”
Multiple reports have mentioned that the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 had issues with coordinated mental health care.