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Building
on Secretary Becerra’s National Tour to Strengthen Mental Health, HRSA, CMS,
SAMHSA, CDC, ACF, and ACL commit to working with states, tribes, and
jurisdictions to best leverage federal resources. Today,
agencies across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued
a joint letter to states, tribes, and jurisdictions encouraging them to
prioritize and maximize their efforts to strengthen children’s mental health
and well-being. The letter, signed by leaders of the Health Resources and
Services Administration (HRSA), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the
Administration for Children and Families (ACF), and the Administration for
Community Living (ACL), outlines HHS’ plans to support and facilitate
state-level coordination across federal funding streams to advance and expand
mental health services for children. “At
HHS, I have called on our leaders across the entire Department to work
together and pull every available lever to support President Biden’s call to
strengthen the mental health of Americans,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.
“Today, we are encouraging our state, tribal, and community partners to do
the same, especially for our littlest ones. The Biden-Harris Administration
is committed to providing critical mental health services for children and
their families to build resilience and thrive.” According
to data from the National Survey of Children’s Health, the
number of children ages 3-17 years diagnosed with anxiety grew by 29 percent
and those with depression by 27 percent between 2016 and 2020. Between 2019
and 2020, there was a 21 percent increase in children diagnosed with
behavioral or conduct problems. Given these increases, HHS agencies are
encouraging recipients to coordinate on using these funds to create
meaningful and equitable approaches to children’s mental health needs and to
expanding access to high quality pediatric mental health care. As HHS recognizes National Mental Health Awareness
Month in May, the letter highlights opportunities to
strengthen the health care system’s capacity to meet mental health needs,
connect more people to care, and create a continuum of support to address
mental health comprehensively and equitably by coordinating across federal
programs including:
Examples
of coordination opportunities include:
Read the full letter on HRSA.gov - PDF. Today’s
announcement is part of HHS’ ongoing efforts to support
President Joe Biden’s whole-of-government strategy to transform mental health
services for all Americans—a key part of the President’s Unity Agenda that is
reflected in the President’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget. Following the
President’s State of the Union in March, Secretary Becerra kicked off
the HHS National Tour to Strengthen Mental Health to
address the mental health challenges that have been exacerbated by the
COVID-19 pandemic, including substance use, youth mental health, and suicide.
Since kicking off the tour, Secretary Becerra and HHS leaders have been
traveling across the country to hear directly from Americans about the mental
health challenges they’re facing and engage with local leaders to strengthen
the mental health and crisis care system in our communities. Health Resources and Services
Administration Administrator Carole Johnson: “As the
home of the federal Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant, we are
committed to the mental health and well-being of our Nation’s children. We
are pleased to partner with our sister agencies across the Department to work
together to help states best leverage their federal programs and resources to
address the critical mental health needs of children and to expand access to
high quality pediatric care, including mental health services. The time
for action is now and we look forward to working with our state partners on
this effort.” Assistant Secretary for Mental Health
and Substance Use, Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D.: “SAMHSA
remains dedicated to providing accessible and culturally appropriate quality
mental health care for America’s children and young adults. Our grant
programs and technical assistance centers help expand access to proven
prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery services and supports,
while developing new and innovative solutions to strengthen mental health
services in communities across the country.” Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure: “CMS is
committed to connecting people to the high-quality health care – including
access to mental health services available through Medicaid and CHIP. We're
coordinating closely with our federal partners and encourage states to do the
same to build a healthier America that focuses on treating the whole person,
with our nation's children at the forefront of that effort.” Administration for Children and
Families Assistant Secretary January Contreras: “ACF is
passionate about supporting the mental health of all children and youth. As
part of our overall mission, ACF strives to ensure that families and
communities have the tools they need to thrive, including their physical,
economic, and mental well-being. We are honored to work alongside our HHS
partners to strengthen the ability of states, tribes, and communities to
leverage federal funding and maximize opportunities available through ACF
programs that strengthen the mental health and well-being of all children and
youth.” Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH: “CDC’s
evidence-based primary prevention programs and mental health resources
provide critical support to child and adolescent mental health. It is vital
that we protect the mental health of our nation’s youth as it is fundamental
to their overall health and lifelong well-being. At CDC, we are committed to
working to make the necessary resources widely available.” Administration for Community Living
Acting Administrator, Alison Barkoff: ACL’s programs work
together to improve outcomes and advance inclusion and equal opportunities
for people with disabilities. Effective, coordinated support for children
with disabilities, including those with mental health needs, and their
families is critical. ACL is committed to working with our partners across
HHS and the federal government, and with states and communities, to make the
services these children and their families need more available and easier to
access. ### |
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