Health professions competencies to address racial and ethnic mental health inequities

(a) In general The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, shall award grants to qualified national organizations for the purposes of— (1) developing, and disseminating to health professional educational programs, culturally and linguistically appropriate curricula or core competencies addressing mental health inequities among racial and ethnic minority groups for use in the training of students in the professions of social work, psychology, psychiatry, marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, peer support, and substance use disorder counseling; and (2) certifying community health workers and peer wellness specialists with respect to such curricula and core competencies and integrating and expanding the use of such workers and specialists into health care and community-based settings to address mental health inequities among racial and ethnic minority groups. (b) Curricula; core competencies Organizations receiving funds under subsection (a) may use the funds to engage in the following activities related to the development and dissemination of curricula or core competencies described in subsection (a)(1): (1) Formation of committees or working groups composed of experts from accredited health professions schools to identify core competencies relating to mental health inequities among racial and ethnic minority groups. (2) Planning of workshops in collaboration with community-based organizations and communities of color in national fora to directly facilitate public input, including input from communities of color with lived experience, into the educational needs associated with mental health inequities among racial and ethnic minority groups. (3) Dissemination and promotion of the use of curricula or core competencies in undergraduate and graduate health professions training programs nationwide. (4) Establishing external stakeholder advisory boards to provide meaningful input into policy and program development and best practices to reduce mental health inequities among racial and ethnic groups, including participation and leadership from communities of color with lived experience of the impacts of mental health inequities. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) Qualified national organization The term qualified national organization means a national organization that focuses on the education of students in programs of social work, occupational therapy, psychology, psychiatry, substance use counseling, and marriage and family therapy. (2) Racial and ethnic minority group The term racial and ethnic minority group has the meaning given to such term in section 1707(g) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u–6(g)). (d) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.