Health professions competencies to address racial and ethnic minority mental health disparities

(a) In general The Secretary of Health and Human Services may award grants to qualified national organizations for the purposes of— (1) developing, and disseminating to health professional educational programs, best practices or core competencies addressing mental health disparities 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, and substance use disorder counseling; and (2) certifying community health workers and peer wellness specialists with respect to such best practices and core competencies and integrating and expanding the use of such workers and specialists into health care to address mental health disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups. (b) Best practices; 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 best practices 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 best practices and core competencies relating to mental health disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups. (2) Planning of workshops at the national level to allow for public input into the educational needs associated with mental health disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups. (3) Dissemination and promotion of the use of best practices or core competencies for culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health services 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 disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups. (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 one or more of the professions of social work, psychology, psychiatry, marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, and substance misuse counseling. (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)).