Bill would invest in pediatric behavioral health services, workforce

The AHA, along with members of the Mental Health Liaison Group, recently voiced support for the Helping Kids Cope Act (H.R. 2412), legislation that would provide Health Resources and Services Administration grants to expand access to pediatric mental and behavioral health services.
 
“To address the national emergency in children’s mental health, we must make urgently needed investments in pediatric mental health and substance use disorder treatment services, including both the pediatric mental health workforce and necessary infrastructure to deliver high-quality care to children at every level of need,” the group said in a letter of support to the bill’s sponsors, Reps. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa. “The Helping Kids Cope Act takes important steps to prioritize well-coordinated and integrated systems of care that are prepared to deliver culturally competent, developmentally appropriate mental health care to children across a range of settings.”