In an effort to let voters in my district become better acquainted with the incumbent senator for Senate District 12, to which parts of Momauguin and Morgan Point have been added, I would like to pass along some of Senator Christine Cohen’s important work on youth mental health and public health in general.

We are all aware of the mental health issues suffered by our children due to the COVID- 19 pandemic. Addressing the youth mental health crisis has been at the top of Christine’s agenda. Together with her colleagues, they have funded the hiring of counselors, psychologists, nurses, and social workers in schools that have unmet mental health needs, expanded services at school-based health centers to include mental and behavioral health services, and improved access to early childhood education for families. They have enhanced school preparedness to respond to student opioid overdose, helped to make mobile crisis centers available 24 hours per day, seven days per week, and created an equity-based mental health fund to aid members of the public disconnected from mental health services.

Christine, in order to strengthen public health, has worked towards expanding family dental and vision insurance to cover children through their 26th birthday as well as extending telehealth services through June 2023 ensuring better access to care to name two.

Senator Cohen has a proven track record of delivering for her district. We will be well served to have Christine re-elected in November and become our Senator in Momauguin and Morgan Point.

Kathy DeChello

East Haven