Clinton unveils plans to address mental illness in U.S.

BROOKLYN, N.Y., Aug. 29 (UPI) -- Hillary Clinton on Monday released a six-part plan to address nearly 50 million Americans afflicted with mental health problems.

"Americans with mental health conditions and their families need our support," she said in her proposal that runs more than 5,000 words. "The economic impact of mental illness is enormous -- at nearly $200 billion per year nationwide in lost earnings -- and the human cost is worse. Too many Americans are being left to face mental health problems on their own, and too many individuals are dying prematurely from associated health conditions. We must do better."

The goal is to make mental health a regular part of healthcare, the plan says, so that by the end of Clinton's term in office, "Americans will no longer separate mental health from physical health when it comes to access to care or quality of treatment."

"The next generation must grow up knowing that mental health is a key component of overall health and there is no shame, stigma, or barriers to seeking out care," the plan says.

In 2014, about 43.6 million adults in the United States had mental illness or about 1 in 5 adults age 18 and over, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. An estimated 17 million children under 18 in the United States experience mental health problems, including one in five college students, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Nearly one in five veterans returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan experienced post-traumatic stress or depression, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Clinton's plan will focus on:

-- Integrating medical and health care systems, including expanding Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.

-- Promoting early diagnosis and intervention, including a suicide prevention initiative.

-- Enforcing parity of mental health benefits, including audits for violations of the law and strengthening audits of compliance by insurer.

-- Improving training for law enforcement officers in crisis intervention and pursuing treatment over jail for low-level offenders, including more resources with partnerships with mental health professionals.

-- Expanding housing access and job opportunities, including joint initiatives with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Health and Human Services.

-- Increasing brain and behavioral research and developing safe and effective treatments, including more cooperation between private and nonprofit sectors.

In her proposal, Clinton laid out her work in the Senate, including co-sponsoring the Campus Care and Counseling Act, which established critical mental health support and early suicide prevention for college students across the country. She also supported a $500 million increase in mental healthcare for veterans.

"This record reflects Hillary's strong belief that mental illness must be treated no differently from other medical conditions and her commitment to the needs of Americans and their families coping with mental illness," the proposal said.

Trump's position on mental health is addressed in his plans for healthcare reform:

"Finally, we need to reform our mental health programs and institutions in this country," the position paper said. "Families, without the ability to get the information needed to help those who are ailing, are too often not given the tools to help their loved ones. There are promising reforms being developed in Congress that should receive bi-partisan support. "