Congressman Morelle Calls for National Grief Strategy in Light of COVID-19 Pandemic
Emphasizes need to address collective mental health during these challenging times
(Washington, D.C.) — Today, Congressman Joe Morelle called on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to create a new national strategy on grief. In a letter sent to SAMHSA Administrator Dr. Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, Rep. Morelle highlights the need for equity in access to mental health services in the wake of the pandemic.
“With more than 800,000 dead in the United States alone, we are all grieving together,” said Congressman Morelle in the letter. “It is time that we talk about and understand grief so we can all help each other through this difficult time.”
<“The COVID-19 pandemic has left millions of Americans grieving the loss of friends, family members, neighbors, colleagues, and loved ones. The grief is both personal and shared, and it is on a scale we have never seen before,” said Edo Banach, President & CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and President of Hospice Action Network. “Now is the time to learn from that collective loss, and to take action. We need a national conversation and a strategy on grief to support all Americans. NHPCO appreciates Representative Morelle’s leadership in calling for a national strategy, including supporting underserved communities in accessing to information, resources, and care. NHPCO and our hospice and palliative care members across the country stand ready to support the development and implementation of a national strategy on grief.”
As our nation continues to battle the pandemic, it is more important than ever to ensure families of those who have tragically died can utilize proper bereavement care and other critical mental health services. This global health crisis has exposed inequalities across many aspects of life, including access to mental health, which we must address immediately. Establishing a national grief strategy would help strengthen accessibility, reduce the stigma around mental health, and foster a culture with a greater awareness for the long-term health outcomes of grief that often go unaddressed.
The full letter is attached.