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Chicago Tribune: Underwood, Kennedy focus on mental health of young people at Yorkville forum

July 31, 2019

U.S. Reps. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, and Joseph Kennedy III, D-Massachusetts, held a public forum Wednesday in Yorkville focusing on mental health issues facing young people.

An overflow conference room of young people, mental health professionals and members of the community registered to attend the meeting at the Kendall County Health Department.

"Think of this as a beginning of a conversation where people can talk openly," Underwood said.

No one should have to suffer in silence or in isolation, she told the group.

Underwood invited Kennedy, a former state prosecutor in Massachusetts and member of the Kennedy family, to be part of the discussion specific to the mental health needs of the Generation Z and Millennial groups.

Underwood and Kennedy said they plan to bring the voices of local constituents to Washington to set policy on a range of issues.

"We want to lift up your story and take them back to Washington so we can work toward solutions," Underwood said.

The two have been attending forums as part of their membership in the Future Forum Caucus, a group of 50 Democrats in the House that focuses on issues impacting young Americans.

The group recently secured a $2 million increase in resources for the Garrett Lee Smith Youth Suicide Prevention grant program, which funds education and support services for vulnerable students.

"We know that suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth. We have seen the impact in the 14th District," Underwood said.

Access to mental health services depends on a lot of factors, including available providers and the affordability of the care, Underwood said.

Both said everyone should have access to affordable health care services.

"The biggest challenge we confront with access to care for mental illness in fleshing out a network of care for those who seek treatment is the fact that people do not raise their voices," Kennedy said.

It's difficult for family members caring for loved ones afflicted with mental illness to make a trip to Washington to lobby members of Congress about details on mental health policy, Kennedy said.

"It takes everything you have in order to provide for that care," he said. "My hope is to elevate your stories - you are not alone. There are members of Congress who are fighting for you."

Underwood and Kennedy encouraged people to speak out on the strengths and weaknesses of the current mental health care system.

Several people in their early to mid-20s spoke candidly about their struggles in coping with mental health issues.

Aurora resident Emily Fagan, 26, is a classical musician and professor of music at Northwestern University and Northern Illinois University. She shared struggles she had with depression through her high school years.

"Mental illness is like cancer," she said. "This is a disease of the brain, and it is important to treat and for people not to feel ashamed.

"I am able to live a normal and happy life," Fagan told The Beacon-News after the forum.

"I still have struggles," she said of a recent auto crash that makes it difficult for her to play the oboe and perform. "I know the red flags and I know how to catch them and do the things that I need to do so (depression) doesn't progress. I have the tools to continue to live my life and work through it."

She said the meeting in Yorkville was a positive one.

"There are people in the community who care and there are people who want to take our issues to Congress. There is hope," Fagan said.

Others shared some of the problems they have encountered in getting access to health care counseling on university campuses. Counseling sessions are limited due to funding and the availability of health care providers, they said.

The need to address mental health issues in the 14th District "crystalized" in one of her other public forums, Underwood said.

"The data doesn't always give all of the color," Underwood told The Beacon-News. "It's important to hear the stories of challenges people are going through in real time."

Underwood said the Yorkville meeting provided a chance for young residents to raise their concerns.

"This was real powerful not only for us to hear but also for the community to hear. These are our kids who are asking for help and probably have been asking for help persistently without the community's support and backing," she said. "Maybe this is a beginning of a change that we can help spur .. that no more young people feel like they don't have anywhere to turn."

Increased grant funding would help universities that have placed limitations on student counseling sessions, Underwood said.

"We know there have been suicide clusters among young people and there are significant mental health care challenges," Underwood said. "What I am taking back is we have a face, details and suggestions from the perspective of young people. Now it's time to get to work."

Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News