Matt Munson

Behavioral health matters because it is vital just as much as our physical health. We want people to be functional and be able to succeed in life. Without behavioral health there are many people that would not be able to survive in our society. A good number of policy issues in our society are tied to individuals lacking a good foundation in their mental health.

Increase the amount of time required with Proposition 36 from 12 months to 18 months so individuals would be required to attain substance use treatment.

Offering more mental health and substance use treatment services in our school districts so the problem does not escalate when the students become adults.

Offering incentives to homeless individuals to get their behavioral health needs met in exchange for necessary services.

Use the Proposition 63 funds instead of letting the money collect dust, people in our state passed the tax and we should make sure the money is being used.

Awareness of health conditions and encouraging people to seek help would be the first step. Both physical and mental health are tied to each other, and if one has a good behavioral health outlook their physical health usually will fare well.

Having programs accessible with a sliding scale payment system would be helpful for people to access the services to get the process started.

I am open to leading this issue as a platform issue for my state political party and also in the future if I do arise as an elected official. I have friends who are in the field and I hope they get as much support as possible.