April 12, 2022
"I'm confident we can transform the way we address mental health and lift the lives of all Americans," stated Ambassador Susan Rice, Domestic Policy Advisor for the Biden Administration, during a recent webinar, Addressing the National Mental Health Crisis: Opportunities and Challenges, which was co-hosted by the USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy and the Commonwealth Fund.
Ambassador Rice's confidence stems from the significant funding that the Biden Administration has already provided in response to the significant mental health and substance use issues that resulted from the pandemic, as well as the President's proposed budget for FY2023. "The Administration is partnering with Congress to build a system with the capacity to serve everyone in need and ensure that cost, stigma and red tape do not prevent people from receiving behavioral health care," Ambassador Rice said.
Following the conversation with Ambassador Rice, Richard G. Frank, Senior Fellow, Economic Studies and Director, USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy, moderated a panel discussion to further examine the Biden Administration's goals and share insights into exactly what the nation's behavioral healthcare system needs.
Kenna Chic, Former President, Project Lighthouse, Georgetown University, made a compelling statement about the needs in the behavioral healthcare system. "Most people try to access the mental health system for the first time when they're in crisis, so they deal with bureaucracy and socially incompetent care, which escalate the crisis and increase risk of tragedy.To save lives, we need to create a world people want to live in by prioritizing mental health and suicide prevention," she stated.
Click here for more detailed highlights from this webinar.
Nearly $35M to Reinforce Mental Health Support for Children and Young Adults Available from HHS
Several funding opportunities further demonstrate the federal government's goal of increasing behavioral healthcare services and ensuring access to them.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced funding availability for the following initiatives and services:
- Expansion and Sustainability of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbances (SED)
- The Community Programs for Outreach and Intervention with Youth and Young Adults at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis (CHR-P)
- Garrett Lee Smith State/Tribal Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention Program
- Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention
- Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education)
- Statewide Family Network (SFN) Program
Click here for descriptions of these programs and links to additional details, including how to apply for these funding opportunities.
