As a non-practicing registered nurse, my path to Congress was heavily influenced by my position as the Chief Psychiatric Nurse at the Dallas Veterans Affairs Hospital.  In that role, I saw the plight of individuals suffering from mental illnesses, and the inadequacies of the system that allowed them to fall through the cracks.  Because of my experience I am uniquely placed to tackle these issues, and have strived for common-sense reforms and legislation to help our most vulnerable.

Our country must reevaluate the way we talk about and classify mental illness, in order to initiate a pragmatic and comprehensive reform of our mental healthcare system.  That is why I served as the Democratic co-sponsor of the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act (H.R. 2646) during the 114th Congress. I am so proud to see much of the framework of the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act enacted into law in 2016 through the 21st Century Cures Act.  By providing more proven and effective services to more individuals, we can offer the tools and mechanisms to treat mental health issues and improve the lives of those affected by mental illness in the U.S.