This week on In Focus, State Assemblymember Paula Kay and Mental Health Association of Rochester President and CEO Valerie Way join the show to discuss Mental Health Awareness Month.
Kay highlights both small and comprehensive approaches, particularly in her district. She discusses legislation to provide mental health counseling to correctional staff, which is delayed due to the ongoing budget process but has bipartisan support. Kay also introduced a bill to exempt current sworn police officers from automatic mental health reporting to reduce stigma and encourage seeking help.
Kay also discusses her co-sponsored bill, the Lieutenant Joseph Banish Mental Health Act, that enhances communication and transportation. She highlights her work on the Veterans Affairs Committee, emphasizing the importance of respectful medical care and generational education about veterans’ contributions.
Way highlights how the organization also helps those with substance use recovery through programs based on lived experiences. She emphasizes the importance of addressing mental health in young people to prevent future issues and details the impact of societal pressures, including social media, on mental health.
You can watch the full interviews above. And be sure to tune in for a look inside the biggest issues impacting upstate New York, on In Focus with JoDee Kenney — every Sunday on Spectrum News 1.