Dr. Octavio Martinez, DDCE Associate Vice President and Executive Director for the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, recently wrote a blog post for Grantmakers in Health, with a powerful message: How we treat and respect each other are critical variables in how COVID-19 impacts us.

In an essay titled, “Behavioral Health Equity in the Time of COVID-19,” Martinez reminds us that the Coronavirus pandemic is “unmasking our shortcomings, gaps, disinvestments, disparities, inequities, and discrimination towards each other,” and that it is playing out in multiple areas simultaneously, including behavioral health.

Additionally, Martinez discusses the need for mental health care will continue to increase, especially as the effects of unemployment are felt across the country. He gives sobering statistics about the potential rise of suicide rates and notes that this establishes a potential scenario where behavioral health services and supports will be dedicated to the majority population.

To read Martinez’s full essay and learn about the path forward promoted by the National Committee of Responsive Philanthropy, visit the Grantmakers in Health site. Also visit the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health site for additional resources related to COVID-19.