Garcia Wilburn honored for work to improve law enforcement mental health, longevity

Police1, an online news site dedicated to law enforcement trainings, resources and tools to enhance officer safety and effectiveness, has honored State Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D-Fishers) in its inaugural "Got Your Six" Awards program. The award recognizes individuals who have gone above and beyond to support law enforcement.

As a freshman legislator, Garcia Wilburn passed groundbreaking legislation in Public Law 139, providing mental health and resiliency training to public safety professionals statewide. A clinician, health researcher, and public health advocate, Garcia Wilburn is proud to work on behalf of her blue family to promote better mental health and longevity in law enforcement service careers.

"It means the world to me to be recognized by Police1, a leading organization in the public safety industry, for my legislative work on behalf of law enforcement and other first responders," Garcia Wilburn said. "The needs of our brave law enforcement officers are at the heart of what I do as a state lawmaker. Reading positive testimonials from the first class of Indiana Law Enforcement Academy graduates who took the mental health and suicide prevention training program introduced by my legislation brought me to tears.

"We can and should create better working conditions for our law enforcement officers, and Public Law 139 in action shows that a better path forward is attainable. As Indiana starts its 2025 legislative session, I remain committed to advocating for my blue family and working to make good mental health and longevity in law enforcement careers a reality for Hoosier LEOs."

Garcia Wilburn appointed to committees for 2025 legislative session

For the 2025 legislative session, State Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D-Fishers) has been appointed to three House committees: Employment, Labor and Pensions; Judiciary; and Public Health. Garcia Wilburn will serve as ranking member of the Judiciary Committee.

"I'm honored to return to the Judiciary Committee again this year, this time in a new leadership role," Garcia Wilburn said. "As ranking member, I look forward to working with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to make our legal system more efficient for Hoosiers.

"This session, I'll also be returning to the Employment, Labor and Pensions committee. Workers deserve living wages and safe working conditions. Our public retirees, including law enforcement and teachers, deserve the peace of mind that a pension provides after a lifetime of contributing to our state. I will be serving this committee with these Hoosiers in mind.

"As a new member of the Public Health Committee, I hope to highlight the great work Hamilton County is already doing to prioritize public health and help incorporate some of these strategies statewide. Even though Indiana has been making progress on issues like overdose rates, the statistics elsewhere are still jarring – Hoosiers are more likely than the average American to have heart disease and diabetes. It doesn't have to be this way, and I'm ready to continue my work to improve public health here in Indiana."

The 2025 legislative session is set to begin January 8, 2025.

Garcia Wilburn to advocate for sexual assault survivors in 2025 legislative session

As the 2025 legislative session fast approaches, State Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D-Fishers) has unveiled two of the 10 bills she intends to file this session, both supporting sexual assault survivors.

One piece of legislation would establish a sexual assault survivor bill of rights, which advocates called for during a 2024 Corrections and Criminal Code Interim Study Committee. One advocate testified during committee that her efforts to seek justice and receive a full investigation were met with hostility and additional trauma from not being supported by the criminal justice system. This includes provisions such as addressing Indiana's rape kit backlog and guaranteeing that victims can obtain a copy of the law enforcement report concerning the sexual assault. 

"From our extensive rape kit backlog to a reporting process that further violates victims, Indiana has work to do when it comes to truly supporting survivors of sexual assault," Garcia Wilburn said. "The legislature has not been in session since March, and since then, I've focused on meeting with survivors and advocates, members of our very own community. One in every five Hoosier women has been sexually assaulted and I know we can improve the sexual assault investigation process in our state. I believe that a sexual assault survivor bill of rights that affirmatively states what promises Indiana must keep to survivors is a necessary step to ensure that we move past statements of support to implementing statewide change."

The second bill would create a sentencing enhancement for sexual battery that is committed against a law enforcement officer. Under the bill, this crime would result in a Level 4 felony, whereas other instances of sexual battery incur a Level 6 felony.

"Our law enforcement officers need to know that the state has their back if they experience the horror of sexual battery while in the line of duty," Garcia Wilburn said. "Putting on the badge is no light undertaking, and the sad reality is that there are individuals out there who want to harm and violate our officers. My hope is that this legislation would serve as an additional deterrent for those who would commit an unimaginable crime against a brave member of our blue family."

The 2025 legislative session is set to begin on Jan. 8, 2025.

Garcia Wilburn invites youth to attend Council on Youth Mental Health

Hey, young people of Carmel, Fishers, and Nora: It's okay to not be okay. But there are things you can to do feel better and help those around you struggling with the same mental health problems as you.

In light of recent reports showing Indiana youth face an unprecedented mental health crisis, State Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn is inviting House District 32 youth to attend a youth mental health discussion with her on Monday, Nov. 18.

"We're Listening: Youth Council on the State of Youth Mental Health" will include:

• A free pizza dinner;

• An open dialogue with Rep. Garcia Wilburn on the mental health and wellbeing of you and your friends;

• Tools for advocating for more mental health support from the Indiana state government; and

• A workshop on how to cope and deal with mental health issues.

"This discussion and workshop is specifically for some of my youngest constituents – middle and high schoolers," Garcia Wilburn said. "As a mom and someone who works with kids all the time, I can see that your generation is struggling. I want to hear from you on what challenges you're facing. I'll also provide you with the tools to cope and help you move from hopelessness to hope by discussing how you can advocate for better mental health resources from our state government so that you and other kids in the future don't have to deal with this same struggle. I hope to see you there!"

"We're Listening: Youth Council on the State of Youth Mental Health" will take place on Monday, Nov. 18 from 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at the Fishers Public Library (5 Municipal Drive, Fishers, IN 46038) in the Center Room. While the event is for middle and high school-aged youth, parents are of course encouraged to attend.

Garcia Wilburn joins fellow Behavioral Health Commission legislators to discuss final 2024 report, opportunities for legislative action

Today (Oct. 1), State Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D-Fishers) joined the three other legislators serving alongside her on the Indiana Behavioral Health Commission (BHC) and Commission Chair Jay Chaudhary to discuss the BHC's final 2024 report and its policy recommendations for improving behavioral and mental health in Indiana.

Garcia Wilburn passed a law in 2023 to require all first responders undergo mental health and resiliency training and plans to work on additional behavioral health legislation during the 2025 legislative session.

Garcia Wilburn released the following statement on today's press conference:

“The work of the Behavioral Health Commission is meaningful to me both as a clinician and researcher. I was extremely proud of the bipartisan fashion of today's press conference with State Sens. Michael Crider and Andrea Hunley and State Rep. Cindy Ledbetter, because behavioral health progress need not be partisan.

“Today, I talked about the importance of growing the behavioral and mental healthcare workforce pipeline in the short and long term. We need to create a system that works for those operating within it in a sustainable way. All 92 counties, including Hamilton and Marion Counties, are designated mental health workforce shortage areas.    

“Indiana has several barriers that prohibit certain healthcare providers from providing the behavioral health services they could be administering, so we need to work to break down the institutional silos and licensing issues that are keeping us from making progress while still ensuring patients receive quality care. I also personally want to work to provide more support to our frontline first responders so that we continue to fight the high rates of suicide, burnout and PTSD that these professions face. Finally, we need to make sure that students know that behavioral health careers are scientific, evidence-based professions that they can pursue, especially as we contemplate the high school diploma redesign.”