You cannot watch the news for very long without seeing some new tragedy where the perpetrator is reported to have a mental illness. More than 13 million Americans have schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depression, and the majority of them are going without treatment. You only need to look at the most recent mass shootings or the overpopulated prison systems to see that our current mental health system is broken, and the time for action is now.

When these tragedies strike, politicians, media and victims cry out about the state of mental healthcare in our country, and how we must do something to solve it. But what do we do? How do we do it? As politicians fail to come to an agreement, people suffer further every day. One thing we can agree on — our current mental health system is in a crisis that demands swift and effective action.