Thanks in part to your advocacy, Congress is moving to a final vote on mental health reform!
House and Senate leaders have developed a bipartisan legislative package that combines comprehensive mental health reform provisions with the “21st Century Cures Act,” which would authorize new funding initiatives at the National Institutes of Health, regulatory changes at the Food and Drug Administration to accelerate medical innovation, changes to the foster care system, and funding to address the opioid crisis.
This combined package contains many of APA’s legislative priorities, including authorization for the Graduate Psychology Education Program and Minority Fellowship Program. It would also establish and reauthorize a wide range of federal mental health and substance use treatment programs, including the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act campus mental health and substance use disorder program. In addition, APA strongly supports the policies advanced by the criminal justice portions of the legislation, such as federal problem-solving courts, increased funding and new authority for the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program, law enforcement training, alternatives to incarceration, and others.
With the House expected to vote on the legislation Wednesday and the Senate voting shortly after, now is the time to urge your Representative and Senators to vote YES in support of mental health reform. This final push is critical!
Thank you for your continued support. Your grassroots efforts are still needed to ensure Congress passes comprehensive mental health reform before adjourning in December.