Women In Government Podcast Mental Health Matters We’ve learned a lot over the past few years, especially about our nation’s resiliency and ability to come together in times of crisis. However, we continue to uncover the hard truths about some people who regularly suffer and live with disadvantages based on their overall health and well-being. One area of interest that’s certainly capturing our nation’s attention is mental health. As it has been reported, more than 50-million Americans live with a mental health condition, and over half of adults don’t receive treatment. Untreated mental health conditions can negatively impact employee performance, rates of illness, absenteeism, accidents and turnover. People often quit their jobs, and some may entirely drop out of the workforce. This doesn’t just hurt our country on the human-level, but there are other consequences, like a smaller tax base, a reduced workforce and increased social expenditures for states and local communities. For all these reasons, and many others, (SEED) the State Exchange on Employment & Disability launched the Mental Health Matters National Task Force to develop a series of frameworks to help state and local policymakers craft and adopt policies to promote the inclusion of people with mental health conditions in the workplace and bolster the behavioral health workforce. What's more, the CDC finds over half of Americans are diagnosed with a mental health condition at some point in their lives, and one in five will experience a mental health condition in a given year. These are more than numbers and statistics. These are the faces of our neighbors, friends and family members. This episode highlights how state and local lawmakers can work on policy and strategies that lead to the best and most promising practices that advance legislation which supports, promotes, and enriches the lives of those living with a mental health condition. ••••• ••••• ••••• MODERATOR: Women In Government Board Member, Colorado Representative, Dafna Michaelson Jenet GUEST #1: Oklahoma Representative, Ajay Pittman GUEST #2: Arkansas Representative, DeAnn Vaught ••••• ••••• ••••• For more information, please visit www.womeningovernment.org Audio courtesy of OSUCHLUCK Productions, www.osuchluck.com