Building an effective workforce in mental health

(a) In general The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in coordination with the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Secretary of Labor, and advocacy and behavioral and mental health organizations serving vulnerable populations, including youth and young adults, people with low incomes, and people of color, shall— (1) develop, strengthen, and implement strategies to bolster career pathways for diverse mental health professionals; (2) identify the breadth of settings where mental health care and behavioral health care can take place; and (3) identify current mental health professional workforce shortages, inclusive of shortages of diverse mental health professionals. (b) Contents Strategies under subsection (a) shall include— (1) the variety of settings where mental health professionals are needed, including community-based organizations, women’s centers, shelters, organizations focused on youth development, workforce agencies, job placement and development centers, emergency rooms, the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children under section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786), food banks, legal aid, and benefit issuers (as defined in section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012)); (2) defining career pathways in mental and behavioral health, to help diverse communities understand the variety of careers in mental and behavioral health that are available; (3) building career pathways in mental and behavioral health as part of the curriculum at the postsecondary education level; (4) providing accessible training and certification pathways for diverse lay health workers such as community health workers and other peer support specialists to ensure that careers pay a living wage; (5) creating incentives for students in the fields of occupational therapy, social work, psychology, medicine, and nursing to learn more about mental health, and to include a mental health rotation, with a particular focus in racially and ethnically diverse communities, as a part of the health professional curricula; (6) including training and education for teachers about the basics of section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794) and individualized education programs (as defined in section 614(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1414(d))); (7) researching, developing, and implementing programs for mental and behavioral health professionals to prevent burnout; and (8) finding better and increased avenues to ensure equity by providing better loan forgiveness programs, including a focus area within the National Health Service Corps focused on community trauma. (c) Use of funds Programs and activities funded under this section shall be consistent with subsection (a)(1) and shall include the following: (1) Subgrants to entities serving youth and young adults which demonstrate a need for an increased mental health workforce, using strategies described in subsection (a)(1). (2) Funding towards the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program. (3) Funding towards the development and implementation of a National Health Service Corps program focused on community trauma. (d) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2037.