Bill > S2157

This bill, the Improving Mental Health Access from the Emergency Department Act of 2021, authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to healthcare providers that operate emergency departments. The grants would be used to implement innovative approaches to help individuals who experience acute mental health episodes and seek care in the emergency department to quickly access appropriate follow-up care, such as expediting placement in psychiatric facilities, increasing the supply of inpatient psychiatric beds, using alternative approaches like tele-psychiatry in the emergency department, and conducting proactive follow-up with patients. The bill aims to address gaps in the provision of acute mental health services and improve coordination between providers within a service area. The bill authorizes $15 million in funding for each fiscal year from 2022 to 2026 to carry out these activities.

Health and Social Services

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/2157/all-info