Bill > S1388

This bill establishes a mental health capacity grant program within the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health specifically designed to support nonprofit organizations at high risk of hate crimes or serving populations vulnerable to such incidents. The program will provide grants to help these organizations enhance their mental health support capabilities through activities like mental health first aid training, culturally responsive referral programs, community education, and de-stigmatization efforts. The grants will be distributed equitably across the state, with consideration given to the types of bias incidents reported in the previous year's hate crime report. Grant recipients will be selected based on their specific mental health support needs, and the program is subject to available funding. The bill requires the department commissioner to file a comprehensive report within six months of the first grant distribution, which must include details such as the number of applications received, grants awarded, grant amounts, organizational missions of grantees, and the types of programming supported by each grant. This legislation aims to build community resilience by providing targeted mental health resources to organizations working with populations at heightened risk of hate-based incidents.

Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S1388