I recently stood outside the Warren County Courthouse in Williamsport to read a proclamation recognizing May as mental health awareness month. I was joined by State Rep. Matt Commons, Warren County Commissioner Craig Greenwood and several local mental health workers and advocates. It was a nice event, and I was glad to be there, but the real impact is happening around the state as Indiana transitions to new models to support those suffering from various mental health and substance abuse conditions. The good news is Indiana’s reforms are working. In 2023, I supported a new behavioral health law crafted to make dollars go farther by meeting people where they need help the most. The legislation prioritized Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) that are now filling an unmet need in our healthcare system by providing mental health and addiction services for individuals who need some help but don’t need to be placed in a psychiatric hospital. The law also formalized the 9-8-8 suicide and crisis lifeline, Indiana’s 911 for mental health. Since then, Indiana has climbed from 42nd to 24th in one national ranking and from 42nd to 14th in another. Indiana’s reforms are helping more Hoosiers, and they are saving money by decreasing the need for expensive hospital admissions. The bad news is we still have a long way to go. Young people are experiencing depression at the highest levels on record. The elderly represent a larger share of our population but also do not always access the care that’s available to them, and our mental health workforce is still too often in short supply. I serve on the Senate Committee for Health and Provider Services, which will have a significant role in addressing the remaining challenges. This should continue to be a priority for the state, not only because it’s the right thing to do but also because it saves money with some studies showing every dollar spent on mental health saves $2-$10 in other expenses such as hospital and incarceration costs.