Interprofessional health care teams for behavioral health care

Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290dd et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 554. Interprofessional health care teams for provision of behavioral health care in primary care settings (a) Grants The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary, shall award grants to eligible entities for the purpose of establishing interprofessional health care teams that provide behavioral health care. (b) Eligible entities To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an entity shall be a Federally qualified health center (as defined in section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act), rural health clinic, women’s health clinic, or behavioral health program (including any such program operated by a community-based organization) serving a high proportion of individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups (as defined in section 1707(g)). (c) Loan forgiveness To encourage qualified and diverse allied health professionals to enter the mental health field, an eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall agree to use not less than $10,000 of the grant funds on a loan forgiveness program for practitioners who commit to working in the mental health field for a period of 2 years. (d) Scientifically and culturally based Integrated health care funded through this section shall be scientifically and culturally based, taking into consideration the results of the most recent peer-reviewed research available, including information on language accessibility, cultural humility, diversity of practitioners, and consideration of social determinants of health. (e) Authorization of appropriations To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031..