Expanding Mental Health Care Access for Immigrant Youth & Communities in Georgia

Published by Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta, Anar Parikh, Senior Policy Associate | November 2023

Expanding and improving Georgia’s mental health care infrastructure has been an area of bi-partisan interest for state lawmakers in recent years. Since 2019, the state legislature has introduced and/or passed several key bills and an additional half-a-dozen key bills and auxiliary legislation concerned with studying, expanding, and improving the availability of mental health services and facilities in the state.

In response to sustained policy interest in mental health care among Georgia lawmakers and advocates in recent years, this brief will analyze the policy landscape and opportunities for expanding access to the state’s immigrant communities, with a special focus on immigrant youth: a population for whom care and services remain largely inaccessible despite the recent substantial investment in the state’s mental health care system.

Recognizing that there is no universally applicable approach for a given population, this report aims to highlight key needs and barriers. This brief will also identify opportunities and offer recommendations for eliminating barriers and ensuring public benefits and services parity for all Georgians.