Strengthening Mental Health Supports for BIPOC Communities Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 8141 To amend the Public Health Service Act to reduce health inequities experi- enced by individuals who are members of historically racial and ethnic minority groups under State plans under the community mental health services block grant program, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 Mr. CA´RDENAS (for himself and Ms. JOHNSON of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend the Public Health Service Act to reduce health inequities experienced by individuals who are members of historically racial and ethnic minority groups under State plans under the community mental health services block grant program, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Strengthening Mental 4 Health Supports for BIPOC Communities Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:46 Sep 06, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8141.IH H8141 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 8141 IH SEC. 2. REDUCING HEALTH INEQUITIES EXPERIENCED BY 1 HISTORICALLY RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORI- 2 TIES UNDER STATE PLANS UNDER COMMU- 3 NITY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES BLOCK 4 GRANT PROGRAM. 5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1942(a) of the Public 6 Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300x–52(a)) is amended— 7 (1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as para- 8 graph (5); and 9 (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol- 10 lowing: 11 ‘‘(2) services provided by the State to adults 12 with a serious mental illness and children with a se- 13 rious emotional disturbance who are members of his- 14 torically racial and ethnic minority groups, includ- 15 ing— 16 ‘‘(A) the extent to which such services are 17 provided to such adults and children; and 18 ‘‘(B) the outcomes experienced by such 19 adults and children as a result of the provision 20 of such services, including with respect to— 21 ‘‘(i) diversions from hospitalization 22 and criminal justice system involvement; 23 ‘‘(ii) treatment for first episode psy- 24 chosis or undefined psychosis; 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:43 Sep 09, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8141.IH H8141 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 8141 IH ‘‘(iii) reductions in suicide and in- 1 creased utilization of appropriate treat- 2 ments and interventions for suicidal idea- 3 tion; 4 ‘‘(iv) response through crisis services, 5 including mobile crisis services; 6 ‘‘(v) treatment of individuals who are 7 experiencing homelessness or housing inse- 8 curity and individuals residing in rural 9 communities; and 10 ‘‘(vi) increased patient family and/or 11 caregiver engagement and education on se- 12 rious mental illness to reduce social stigma 13 and promote healthy social support for pa- 14 tients; 15 ‘‘(3) any outreach by the State to, and the hir- 16 ing of, providers from multiple disciplines (such as 17 a psychologist, psychiatrist, peer support provider, 18 social worker) of mental health services who are 19 members of historically racial and ethnic minority 20 groups; 21 ‘‘(4) any outreach by the State to providers 22 from multiple disciplines of mental health services— 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:46 Sep 06, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8141.IH H8141 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 8141 IH ‘‘(A) to provide training on culturally ef- 1 fective, culturally affirming, and linguistically 2 competent services; and 3 ‘‘(B) to increase awareness of community- 4 defined practices by practitioners of historically 5 racial and ethnic minority groups; and’’. 6 (b) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by sub- 7 section (a) shall apply with respect to funding agreements 8 entered into under section 1911 or 1921 of the Public 9 Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300x; 42 U.S.C. 300x–21) 10 on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 11 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:46 Sep 06, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H8141.IH H8141 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS