The Post Bulletin shares Senator Carla Nelson’s blueprint for mental health, including an update on improvements in telehealth…

We made several other key advancements this session to improve the speed and effectiveness with which Minnesota provides support to Minnesotans working to improve their mental health.

This year’s final health and human services bill contained important funding that will help us accomplish this goal:

• We permanently expanded Telehealth access to include mental health and substance use disorders. I have long been an author of Telehealth legislation, beginning with the very first telehealth bill, and we will continue to pursue advancements so every Minnesotan has affordable access to the health services they need, when and where they need them.

• We provided funding to prioritize the mental and behavioral health needs of Minnesota youth, and established individual treatment plans for children in outpatient services. This was part of the YOUTH Act that I authored this year to help Minnesota better support children in crisis.

• We provided additional funding in this year’s jobs and economic growth bill to expand broadband access in underserved and unserved communities to help close gaps in access to important services like telehealth.