Mental Health, Addiction, and Access to Care: Building a Healthier Maryland

Mental health care is health care, period, according to Walter Kirkland, who believes that the same level of urgency, access, and affordability must be applied to mental health care as is applied to physical health care.

Today, far too many families in Maryland’s Fifth District are struggling in silence, facing wait times, costs, and a lack of access to the care they need. No family in Maryland’s Fifth District should have to travel an hour for care, nor should they have to go broke getting healthy.

Walter Kirkland is dedicated to building a healthcare system that works for all Maryland families, especially in the areas of mental health care and addiction.

Expand Access Where It’s Needed Most
Walter Kirkland will expand access to mental health care in underserved communities by investing in community health centers, telehealth, and incentives for providers to practice in these communities.

Mental health care is public safety, too, and Walter Kirkland believes in integrating mental health response teams into the public safety response structure, so individuals in crisis receive the care they need, not the crisis they are in.

Combating Addiction and the Opioid Crisis
Walter Kirkland is dedicated to tackling the addiction crisis in Maryland’s Fifth District, focusing on real solutions that help people rebuild their lives, build stronger families, and create a healthier Maryland.

Lowering the Costs and Ending Insurance Barriers
Walter Kirkland will ensure that insurance companies are held accountable for equal coverage of mental health services, while tackling the costs of prescriptions, treatments, and services.

Building the Healthcare Workforce
Walter Kirkland will expand nursing programs, behavioral health programs, and support loan forgiveness programs for those providers willing to commit to these communities.

Walter Kirkland’s vision is simple: accessible care, affordable treatment, and a healthcare system that meets people where they are, so they don’t have to struggle alone, so they have the chance to heal, so they can thrive in Maryland’s Fifth District.