King County Executive Dow Constantine was in Hillsborough County, Fla. last week to unveil a new report from the National Association of Counties (NACo) aimed at improving mental health outcomes and policies.

NACo’s Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing, which Executive Constantine co-chairs, released its final report on Saturday, titled From Crisis to Solutions: Policy Catalysts for Improved Outcomes. It contains recommendations for federal policymakers and county leaders to address the nation’s mental health crisis.

“We’ve made substantial progress in promoting our priorities for mental health service and policy reform, but there is a lot more to accomplish,” Executive Constantine said. “This report emphasizes crucial data, effective strategies, and recommendations for government at all levels.”

The impact of the mental health crisis in our communities is devasting. The report notes that nearly one in four U.S. adults ages 18 or older in the U.S. experiences any mental illness each year, with 26 percent of those experiencing a serious mental illness. About one in five adolescents aged 12 to 17 experience a major depressive episode per year. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10-14 and 25-34, and the third leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 15-24.

The report highlights the actions the Commission and counties are taking to meet the mental health needs of their communities. It also urges federal policymakers, local leaders, and stakeholders to support and implement policy reforms that will help address this crisis nationally and locally, including eliminating federal restrictions on Medicaid benefits for incarcerated individuals, and streamlining resources to establish crisis call centers and improve crisis response infrastructure.

Executive Constantine also called out the report’s finding that more needs to be done to create career paths for behavioral health professions, especially in underserved areas, and help to ensure an ample and representative workforce. “It takes people to treat people,” he said.

Executive Constantine and Los Angeles County, Calif. Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who co-chaired the group, urged all county leaders to leverage the report’s findings and recommendations for tackling mental health challenges in their communities. “As the formal work of this commission closes, we implore all county leaders to leverage this report, leverage the work we’ve been doing, and take the lead in tackling mental health issues in every community,” Executive Constantine said. Read the report here.