U.S. House of Representatives Passes Rep. Sykes’s Bipartisan Mental Health Improvement Act To Increase Access To Affordable Mental Health Services
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Representative Emilia Sykes’s (OH-13) bipartisan H.R. 4097, the Mental Health Improvement Act, as part of H.R. 4531, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. The Mental Health Improvement Act would extend the authorization for the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program, which provides tens of millions of dollars annually to increase the number of behavioral health professionals and improve access to behavioral health services. The Mental Health Improvement Act is Rep. Sykes’s first bill to pass the House of Representatives.
“As a longtime advocate for improving the health of our communities, I am glad my colleagues on both sides of the aisle supported the bipartisan Mental Health Improvement Act to address the gaps in mental health care in Ohio’s 13th District and across the country,” said Rep. Sykes. “The Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program will continue to provide critical funds to ensure our communities have a robust mental and behavioral health workforce to support people struggling with addiction and save lives. I’ll keep working to ensure all Americans, no matter where they live, have access to affordable, high-quality mental health services.”
The BHWET Program awards grants to eligible universities and state-licensed mental health nonprofit and for-profit organizations to recruit and train the next generation of behavioral health workers. The Mental Health Improvement Act would extend the funding authorization for the BHWET Program until 2028.
Local organizations in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District already benefit from the investments made possible by the BHWET Program. In 2021, Walsh University received $479,721 from the BHWET Program to establish the Walsh University Counselors and Occupational Therapists Professionally Engaged (COPE) in the Community program. The program enhances the community’s capacity to provide high quality experiential training of students in innovative care settings serving high-need populations in high-demand areas, including purchasing equipment and supplies for use in behavioral/ mental healthcare services at various nonprofit centers in Ohio, and providing free occupational therapy (OT) services for women through Rahab Ministries and the YWCA.
Nearly half of all Americans will have a behavioral health issue in their lifetime, from a mood disorder to a substance use problem. As of March 2023, 160 million Americans live in areas with mental health professional shortages, with over 8,000 more professionals needed to ensure an adequate supply.
In Ohio, the demand for behavioral health services rose 353% statewide from 2013 to 2019, with demand spiking again in 2021. As of March 2023, Summit and Stark Counties are both experiencing mental health professional shortages.