{"id":46289,"date":"2026-02-18T12:47:58","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T17:47:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jedfoundation.org\/?p=46289"},"modified":"2026-02-18T12:47:58","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T17:47:58","slug":"mental-health-care-access-must-remain-a-public-priority","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jedfoundation.org\/mental-health-care-access-must-remain-a-public-priority\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental Health Care Access Must Remain a Public Priority"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Jed Foundation (JED) is deeply concerned about the fear, grief, and distress that youth and families are experiencing amid uncertainty, loss, and community upheaval. Across Minnesota and communities nationwide, critical work is being done to support individuals and families, often with limited resources.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These efforts underscore the strength of communities and highlight the limits of what local response alone can carry. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They also unfold within a broader national policy and budget context that shapes both enforcement activity and access to mental health care. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taken together, they point to the urgency of prioritizing access to mental health supports and services for all, no matter their status or country of origin. Ensuring access to mental health care must remain a core public priority, especially during times of heightened stress and community disruption. Meeting that responsibility requires sustained, collective commitment so that those already responding on the ground are reinforced with the support and resources they need.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As an organization dedicated to promoting emotional well-being and preventing suicide, JED is committed to advocating for emotional health resources for all young people and families. We encourage institutions \u2014 schools, health systems, employers, and civic organizations \u2014 nationwide to expand access to emotional support services, promote <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aap.org\/en\/patient-care\/national-center-for-relational-health-and-trauma-informed-care\/what-is-trauma-informed-care\/?srsltid=AfmBOoomj_zdTAsSMJsnI0ZbjTFPqKeVZriWUDYzRD5W_84dNeayLsud\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">trauma-informed care<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and collaborate with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/jedfoundation.org\/resource\/how-to-find-a-therapist-who-understands-your-background\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">culturally competent providers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to meet the needs of diverse populations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><i>If you are experiencing fear, <\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/jedfoundation.org\/resource\/understanding-stress\/\"><b><i>stress<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i>, <\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/jedfoundation.org\/resource\/how-to-deal-with-grief-and-loss\/\"><b><i>grief<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i>, or <\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/jedfoundation.org\/resource\/how-can-i-manage-my-anxiety\/\"><b><i>anxiety<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i> related to these events:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Ask for help and connect with others.<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reach out to trusted friends, family members, counselors, or community support networks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Talk about what you are feeling. Normalizing emotional responses during collective stress can be healing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stay connected with supportive groups, faith communities, and peer support spaces.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Seek professional support if you need it.<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If stress feels overwhelming or impacts your daily life, please consider seeking professional care. You can contact:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Local mental health providers, school counselors, or university health services.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Crisis Text Line:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Text <\/span><b>\u201cHOME\u201d to 741741<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to connect with a trained crisis counselor. For Spanish, text \u201cHOLA.\u201d For Minnesota residents, text \u201cMN.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>988 Suicide &amp; Crisis Lifeline<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (call, text, or chat <\/span><b>988 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">or <\/span><b>988lifeline.org<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">): free, confidential support 24\/7 from trained counselors for anyone in emotional distress.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To access mental health crisis teams located in Minnesota, you can find county-specific resources 24\/7 at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/namimn.org\/support\/information-and-resources\/crisis-resources\/#MH_crisis_teams\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NAMI Minnesota<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Jed Foundation (JED) is deeply concerned about the fear, grief, and distress that youth and families are experiencing amid uncertainty, loss, and community upheaval. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":47148,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Mental Health Care Access Must Remain a Public Priority | The Jed Foundation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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