Mental Health
Nebraska's motto is "Equality before the law." Yet too often we see that, when it comes to mental health, there is nothing equal about access to care or coverage by insurance plans. Scott Kleeb understands how our harsh system has left some of our most vulnerable behind. That's why Scott will make closing the gap on mental health care a priority.
Scott Kleeb understands the debilitating effects of mental health conditions. That’s why Scott is committed to shining a light on this issue in the U.S. Senate.
Parity. Here in Nebraska, underfunding and mismanagement has led to inadequate coverage and long waits for mental health care. Scott Kleeb is committed to establishing mental health parity and will do all he can to make sure Nebraskans have the coverage they need.
Care and compassion. Too often we hear from doctors that they feel pressure not to properly diagnose a patient with a mental health condition because their patient’s insurance company won’t cover it. Establishing mental health parity will alleviate this pressure and ensure that patients get the medical care they need and deserve. Moreover, Scott Kleeb believes it is imperative that we do more to reduce the stigma that follows mental health conditions so that decent, hard-working Americans aren’t left to suffer in silence.
Our veterans. Combat soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan most commonly face a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression. Scott Kleeb believes we must honor these heroes by:
- Acknowledging the problem and properly diagnosing patients.
- Improving mental health screening and treatment for combat-related psychological injuries.
- Implementing better peer outreach and readjustment counseling for returning combat soldiers and their families.
- Recruiting more mental and other health professionals, such as substance abuse counselors, to treat Veterans.
Our kids. Mental health is a concern for our children as well. Every parent knows that our kids can’t simply be treated as small adults. The father of two young daughters, Scott Kleeb is committed to shining a light on mental health issues facing our children. Scott will work to protect our kids by:
- Supporting measures to better understand how antidepressant and prescription drugs affect our teens.
- Combating teen suicide, a tragedy that affects far too many Nebraskan families, through education and awareness.
- Combating teen substance abuse.
