As Mental Health Awareness Month concludes, we call on our federal partners to take meaningful action to address the escalating behavioral health crisis impacting rural communities across the nation—including right here in Navajo County.

Every day, we see firsthand the consequences of untreated mental illness and substance use disorders. From jail bookings and court cases to emergency calls and family crises, it is clear our criminal justice system has become the de facto provider of behavioral health services. This is neither sustainable nor just.

Counties like ours are on the front lines. Across the nation, counties operate crisis lines, behavioral health facilities, public hospitals, and detention centers. In Navajo County, we are developing a jail re-entry program to connect those suffering from mental illness or addiction with treatment rather than incarceration. But we need stronger federal support to expand and sustain these efforts.

We urge Congress to take the following actions to support counties and protect public safety while restoring hope to those battling mental illness and substance use disorders:

* Pass the Due Process Continuity of Care Act (S.971): This critical legislation would allow states to continue Medicaid coverage for individuals in jail who have not yet been convicted of a crime. Roughly 60% of people in local jails nationwide are awaiting trial. Many suffer from serious mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders. Cutting off their care the moment they enter jail worsens their condition, increases recidivism and burdens local systems. The Due Process Continuity of Care Act would help ensure continuity of treatment, reduce repeat offenses, and save lives.

* Invest in the behavioral health workforce: Rural counties like ours face severe shortages of qualified mental health professionals. We ask Congress to increase funding for the National Health Service Corps and other programs that provide scholarships and loan repayment incentives to those serving in rural and underserved areas. We also support efforts to designate county jails as eligible facilities for behavioral health workforce programs, just like state and federal prisons.

* Modernize outdated federal rules: The federal Medicaid “Institutions for Mental Diseases” (IMD) exclusion blocks access to short-term residential mental health treatment. Congress should update this policy to allow more flexible, community-based treatment options, especially for individuals with serious mental illness or substance use disorders.

* Support children and families: Mental health services for youth are often out-of-network, costly, or unavailable in rural areas. We need targeted federal efforts to increase provider availability, reduce insurance barriers, and expand access to behavioral health care for children and adolescents.

* Pass the Medicaid Reentry Act (S.1165): Allowing Medicaid coverage to resume 30 days before an individual is released from jail or prison would improve reentry success, reduce recidivism and ensure a smoother transition to community-based care.

* Strengthen crisis response systems: Navajo County has been working to improve how we respond to people in crisis through partnerships, co-response models, and efforts to support the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Congress must invest in crisis stabilization facilities, training and technical support to ensure these systems can succeed long term. Routing 988 calls by location, rather than by area code, is also essential for connecting individuals to the help they need—where they are.

Navajo County is committed to leading at the local level—but we cannot do it alone. Federal action is urgently needed to address the growing mental health crisis in rural America. These policy changes will not only save taxpayer dollars and reduce jail overcrowding—they will save lives.

It’s time for federal lawmakers to stand with us and help build a behavioral health system that truly works for all.