H.R. 10722: 9–8–8 Crisis Response Workforce Act

This bill would expand federal training programs for behavioral health workers, with a specific focus on crisis response services connected to the 9-8-8 suicide and crisis lifeline.

What the bill would do

• Add crisis-response workforce data collection. The Secretary of Health and Human Services would be required to collect and publish information on where crisis services are available and where they are needed most, especially in health professional shortage areas.

• Track the number of crisis service resources. The data would include the number of crisis call centers, mobile crisis response teams, and crisis receiving and stabilization facilities in those areas, as well as the number of behavioral health professionals working in crisis settings.

• Expand fellowship training. The bill would broaden a minority fellowship program so that postbaccalaureate training can include crisis management services, such as work at crisis call centers, mobile crisis teams, and stabilization facilities.

• Increase funding for fellowships. It authorizes additional federal funding for these fellowships, including money specifically for crisis management training in future fiscal years.

• Expand workforce education and training grants. Existing behavioral health workforce training programs would be updated so they can better support training in crisis response work.

• Allow more training formats. The bill would recognize remote programs that provide practicum hours and would explicitly include training for call, text, and chat responders for mental health crisis lines.

• Broaden eligible training areas. It would make crisis management a more clearly covered area within behavioral health training programs, including training linked to crisis call centers, mobile crisis teams, and crisis receiving and stabilization programs.

• Authorize more federal spending. The bill authorizes annual appropriations for several grant and fellowship programs over multiple fiscal years, including additional funds dedicated to crisis workforce development.

Practical effect

In simple terms, the bill is aimed at growing the number of people trained to answer crisis calls, provide text/chat support, work on mobile crisis teams, and staff places where people in mental health crisis can be evaluated and stabilized. It also tries to improve federal tracking of where those services are lacking so training resources can be directed more effectively.

Relevant Companies

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