Student response 2

A proposed health policy on the congress website is S. 1795- Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act. It is a bill currently in congress sponsored by Senator Robert Mendez. The bill was created to expand programs to address racial and ethnic disparities in mental health. The Department of health and human services (HHS) awards grants to establish interprofessional behavioral health care teams in areas with a high proportion of racial and ethnic minority groups. HHS may award grants to incorporate best practices and competencies to address mental health disparities programs for training social workers, psychologists, and other behavioral health professionals. HHA aims to promote behavioral mental health and reduce the stigma associated with mental health conditions and substance use disorder through outreach to racial and ethnic minority groups. The bill reauthorizes the minority fellowship program to support the education of mental health professionals who provide services to racial and ethnic minorities.