John Katko

06/27/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/27/2022 08:49

House Passes Bipartisan Mental Health Package, Including Three Katko-Authored Measures to Expand Local Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Services

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. John Katko (NY-24), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Mental Health Caucus, today announced the passage of three bipartisan bills he authored to expand mental health and suicide prevention services in Central New York. These measures were included in the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022, a package of legislation to combat mental illness and substance use disorder that passed the House with strong bipartisan support .

The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022 reauthorizes a wide range of programs within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Health and Resources Administration (HRSA), including programs that support mental health and substance use disorder treatment in rural and low-income communities. Notably, the package also includes Katko-led initiatives to provide additional federal funding for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and improve its services, codify grant funding for schools to partner with local mental health professionals on providing comprehensive in-school services for students, and reauthorize federal support for expanding the availability of mental health services in underserved minority communities.

"I am proud to announce the passage of these three measures as part of the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act," said Rep. Katko. "As co-chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health Caucus, ensuring access to quality mental health services for Central New Yorkers has been a priority since my first day in Congress. Our country is facing a mental health crisis, and these bills address this crisis by expanding access to mental healthcare for children and adolescents, supporting suicide crisis centers like Contact Community Services in Syracuse, and expanding the availability of mental health services in underserved communities."

Specifically, the following measures put forward by Rep. Katko were included in the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act:

  • The Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act - This bipartisan bill, which Rep. Katko introduced alongside U.S. Reps. Grace F. Napolitano (D, CA-32) and Donald Beyer (D, VA-8), significantly increases authorized funding for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline while also implementing a number of important reforms to improve the administration of the Lifeline. The measure aims to support suicide crisis centers in Central New York like Contact Community Services, Inc., which handle the majority of local calls to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and have long worked on tight budgets while managing ever increasing call volumes.
  • The Mental Health Services for Students Act - This bipartisan bill, which Rep. Katko introduced alongside U.S. Rep. Grace Napolitano (D, CA-32), authorizes $130 million in grant funding for schools to partner with local mental health professionals to establish comprehensive mental health services for students. The proposal would educate the entire school community-from students and their families, to teachers, administrators, and support personnel-on the warning signs and symptoms of mental illness.
  • Minority Fellowship Reauthorization Act of 2022 - This bipartisan bill, which Rep. Katko introduced alongside U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D, NJ-12), works to promote access to mental healthcare for minority communities in Central New York and across the country by reauthorizing funding to improve the pipeline of culturally competent providers, build outreach programs that reduce stigma, and develop training programs for providers to effectively manage mental health disparities.

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