House Passes Important Mental Health Legislation

Due in part to your advocacy efforts, today the House passed several mental health bills that are endorsed by ACA:

1. H.R. 5469, the “Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act,” introduced by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), and eight other Members of Congress. The bill would authorize federal funding to address mental health inequities among underserved populations, including communities of color. The bill includes provisions that would: create a grant program targeted at high-poverty communities for culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health services; support research into disparities in mental health; reauthorize the Minority Fellowship Program to support more students of color entering the mental health workforce; and study the impact of smartphones and social media on adolescents.
2. H.R. 1109, the “Mental Health Services for Students Act,” introduced by Reps. Grace Napolitano (D-CA) and John Katko (R-NY). The bill authorizes grants to fund school-based mental health services. The program would support screening for social, emotional, mental, and behavioral issues, including suicide or substance use disorders; treatment and referral for these issues; development of evidence-based programs for students experiencing these issues; and other strategies for schools to support students and the communities that surround them. The goal of the program is to create partnerships between schools and community-based mental health professionals across the country.
3. H.R. 5572, the “Family Support Services for Addiction Act of 2020,” introduced by Reps. David Trone (D-MD) and Daniel Meuser (R-PA). The bill authorizes the Secretary of HHS to award grants to support family community organizations that develop, expand, and enhance evidence-informed family support services for families and family members living with substance use disorders or addiction. The grants may be used to build connections between family support networks, with behavioral health and primary care providers, and foster care services, among others. The grant may also be used to reduce stigma around addiction and addiction treatment, family support outreach activities, and connect families to peer support programs.

It remains to be seen whether the Senate, which will now be in session next week due to the pending Supreme Court nomination, will consider these measures before the November 3rd election. ACA will keep you updated on any developments.

If you would like to become involved in ACA’s advocacy efforts, please contact us at advocacy@counseling.org.