H.R. 7394: Mental Health Career Promotion Act

This bill, titled the Mental Health Career Promotion Act, aims to improve awareness and accessibility of careers in mental and behavioral health. It proposes the establishment of a new grant program, managed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to provide funding for programs that promote mental health careers among students in grades 9 through 12 and those attending public junior or community colleges.

Key Provisions of the Bill

Establishment of a Grant Program

The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create a Mental and Behavioral Health Career Promotion Grant Program. This program will offer grants to eligible entities to create or enhance mental health career promotion initiatives. These initiatives could exist within schools or community colleges.

Eligible Entities for Grants

To qualify for grants, an entity must form a partnership that includes:

• One or more local educational agencies (like school districts) or a consortium of them;
• One or more public junior or community colleges or a consortium of them;
• At least one community-based mental or behavioral health provider, which may include clinics, treatment programs, or local behavioral health authorities.

Focus of the Grants

The goal of the awarded grants is to support programs that:

• Provide educational presentations to students to increase their knowledge of mental health careers;
• Coordinate internships and externships for interested students;
• Facilitate meetings where students can interact with mental health professionals;
• Offer mentorship and experiential learning opportunities;
• Partner with higher education institutions and community organizations to advocate for mental health careers.

Grant Characteristics

• Duration: Grants will last for five years and can be renewed.
• Diversity: The program aims to ensure that the grants reach a variety of geographical areas.
• Technical Assistance: The Secretary may provide technical assistance to schools and colleges in high-need areas.

Evaluation of Grants

The bill requires the Secretary to establish a process for evaluating the effectiveness of the programs funded by the grants. This includes:

• Providing guidelines and metrics for measuring the outcomes of the programs.
• Requiring recipients to report annually on the activities and effectiveness of the programs.
• Submissions of reports to Congress detailing the success and impact of the initiatives.

Funding

The bill authorizes appropriations of $50 million for each fiscal year from 2027 through 2031 to support the grant program.

Definitions

For the purposes of this bill, certain terms are defined, including a broad range of occupations within mental and behavioral health, such as:

• Physicians and psychiatrists
• Registered nurses and nurse practitioners
• Social workers, counselors, and psychologists
• Peer support specialists and community health workers

Relevant Companies

None found.