Laura Groshong, LICSW, CSWA Director of Policy and Practice

House HELP Committee Hearing, April 5, 2022

There are over 100 bills in Congress that affect clinical social work practice.  Nineteen of them were heard in a HELP hearing on April 5 and will be voted on shortly.  They are a good summary of the way that mental health is being addressed currently. You can hear the testimony at the following link: https://energycommerce.house.gov/committee-activity/hearings/hearing-on-communities-in-need-legislation-to-support-mental-health-and well-being.

Good news:

• The No Health without Mental Health letter on Collaborative Care that CSWA signed onto was discussed and entered into the record;  
• Rep. Matsui made a direct request for the in-person requirements for telemental health be dropped; 
• Multiple Reps. talked about the failure of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act to give mental health treatment equal coverage with medical care; 
• Multiple Reps talked about the lack of attention to the mental health of children and adolescents; and
• The importance of ongoing telemental health coverage was discussed.  

Bad news:

• The only clinicians who testified were psychiatrists;
• Addiction was discussed as a medical problem, not a mental health one; and 
• The main treatment discussed was crisis management.

Below are the bills being considered:

Possible Legislation

H.R. 2376, the “Excellence in Recovery Housing Act”

H.R. 2929, the “Virtual Peer Support Act”

H.R. 4251, “Native Behavioral Health Access Improvement Act of 2021”

H.R. 4944, “Helping Kids Cope Act of 2021”

H.R. 5218, the “Collaborate in an Orderly and Cohesive Manner”

H.R. 7073, the “Into the Light for Maternal Mental Health Act”

H.R. 7076, the “Supporting Children’s Mental Health Care Access Act of 2022”

H.R. 7232, the “9–8–8 and Parity Assistance Act of 2022”

H.R. 7233, the “Keeping Incarceration Discharges Streamlined for Children and Accommodating Resources in Education Act” or the “KIDS CARES Act”

H.R. 7234, the “Summer Barrow Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Act”

H.R. 7235, the “Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant Act of 2022” 

H.R. 7236, the “Strengthen Kids’ Mental Health Now Act of 2022”

H.R. 7237, the “Reauthorizing Evidence-based and Crisis Help Initiatives Needed to Generate Improved Mental Health Outcomes for Patients Act of 2022” or the “REACHING Improved Mental Health Outcomes for Patients Act of 2022”

H.R. 7238, the “Timely Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder Act of 2022” 

H.R. 7241, the “Community Mental Health Services Block Grant Reauthorization Act”

H.R. 7248, the “Continuing Systems of Care for Children Act”

H.R. 7249, the "Anna Westin Legacy Act of 2022"

H.R. 7254, the “Mental Health Justice and Parity Act of 2022” 

H.R. 7255, the “Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Reauthorization Act”

Whether these bills will get passed out of committee is hard to say but there was agreement that there is a mental health crisis, even if the funding to correct it is not yet available.

Witnesses

Panel I

Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D.
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Testimony

Carole Johnson, M.A.
Administrator
Health Resources and Services Administration

Testimony

Panel II

Rebecca W. Brendel, M.D., J.D.
President-Elect
American Psychiatric Association

Testimony

Sandy L. Chung, M.D., F.A.A.P., F.A.C.H.E.
President-Elect
American Academy of Pediatrics

Testimony

Steven Adelsheim, M.D.
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Director
Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing
Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford Children's Health

Testimony

Debra Pinals, M.D.
Medical Director, Behavioral Health and Forensic Programs
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
On behalf of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors

Testimony

Cassandra Price, M.B.A.
Director, Office of Addictive Diseases
Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
On behalf of the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors

Testimony

LeVail W. Smith, C.P.S.S.
Peer Support Specialist Instructor and Mentor

Testimony

Contact: lwgroshong@clinicalsocialworkassociation.org