Bill > HR8680

This bill aims to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to award grants to eligible entities, such as community behavioral health clinics and centers, to implement community mental wellness worker training programs. These programs would support the training, certification, and supervision of community mental wellness workers to screen for and deliver evidence-informed, culturally and linguistically competent counseling and interventions for individuals with or at risk of mental health or substance use disorders. The bill also establishes a Community Mental Wellness Technical Assistance Center to provide training and support to grantees. Additionally, the bill provides liability protections for the grantee entities and their participating staff similar to those afforded to Federally Qualified Health Centers, but only for the duration of the grant period.