Heinrich, Cornyn, Padilla Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Address Mental Health Care Shortages
WASHINGTON –U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Alex Padilla (D-C.A.), and U.S. Representatives Grace Meng (NY-06), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), and Yvette Clark (NY-09), introduced the Mental Health Workforce and Language Access Act to address severe mental health care provider shortages and improve access to affordable services at community health centers. The bill creates a new grant for community health centers to recruit, hire, and employ qualified mental health professionals who are fluent in a language other than English.
“We have a mental health care shortage in New Mexico that demands action,” said Heinrich. “The Mental Health Workforce and Language Access Act will address our state’s severe provider shortage by giving community health centers the tools they need to recruit and hire qualified mental health professionals, while working to end language barriers that prevent New Mexicans from receiving the health care they need.”
“Community health centers are an important resource for Americans seeking mental health support,” said Cornyn. “This bill expands Texans’ access to these mental health resources by helping community health centers recruit, hire, and employ more behavioral health care professionals who are fluent in different languages, and I’m glad to support it.”
“We must tackle our country’s mental health crisis head on,” said Padilla. “The Mental Health Workforce and Language Access Act will help us remove a critical barrier to care by empowering Community Health Centers to recruit, hire, and retain mental health professionals in non-English speaking communities.”
“We are experiencing a mental health crisis in the United States. For many communities, like the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, the burden has only increased. Many of my constituents in the AAPI community have struggled to find clinicians who speak their language or understand their culture. The Mental Health Workforce and Language Access Act would ensure community health centers have the resources they need to hire clinicians with the knowledge and skills to treat individuals whose first language isn’t English,” said Meng. “Access to these lifesaving services, for all communities, is long overdue.”
“In order to increase access to mental health services, we must address the ever growing workforce shortage of mental health professionals,” said Fitzpatrick. “That is why I am proud to join the bipartisan, bicameral Mental Health Workforce and Language Access Act which will bolster our mental health workforce through new grants and incentives for health centers to hire more qualified professionals.”
“Mental health disparities are often an issue that is overlooked and misunderstood. Moreover, just as we see in other areas of medicine, people of color suffer mental health consequences at a higher rate than white Americans” said Clarke. “Racism, social disadvantages, and discrimination can result in a plethora of mental health problems, many communities of color experience stigma surrounding mental health issues, and far too many lack sufficient mental health support and treatment. The Mental Health Workforce and Language Access Act would bolster the resources available to community health centers for more clinicians with the expertise to treat individuals from marginalized communities. I’m proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing this bill. It’s time we bring real equity into our mental health system.”
In New Mexico, 56% of adults with mental illness do not receive treatment due to extreme mental health care provider shortages. New Mexico has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation, with a rate that is consistently 50% higher than the national average. Suicide is currently the leading cause of death among 15–17-year-olds in New Mexico, and especially high for Indigenous and LGBTQIA+ youth.
According to the US Census, at least 34% of New Mexicans five years or older speak a language other than English at home. According to the Department of Justice, 10% of New Mexico’s population are considered to have Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and therefore would be better served in a language other than English.
The Mental Health Workforce and Language Access Act would establish a new federal grant for community health centers to recruit, hire, and employ qualified behavioral health professionals who are fluent in a language other than English. Any community health center would be eligible to apply, however the bill specifies that preference is given to those health centers at which at least 10% of the patients are best served in a language other than English. The bill would also direct that a portion of the grants be made available for outreach purposes to inform communities about the behavioral health services available at community health centers.
This legislation is supported by the National Association of Community Health Centers, the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, the Association of Black Psychologists, the National Latinx Psychological Association, and the Society of Indian Psychologists.
"Community health centers are a cornerstone for providing culturally and linguistically appropriate primary care and behavioral health services,” said Adam Carbullido, director of policy and advocacy at the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO). “Health centers are the medical home for nearly seven million patients who are best served in a language other than English, including many Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. AAPCHO applauds Rep. Meng and Sen. Heinrich for introducing the Mental Health Workforce and Language Access Act to strengthen the health center workforce and increase capacity to recruit, hire, and retain critical mental health providers able to meet their patients' language needs. We urge Congress to pass this bill.”
“We are deeply grateful for the leadership of U.S. Representative Meng and Senator Heinrich in advancing legislation that boosts investments in a culturally competent behavioral health workforce,” said Rachel A. Gonzales-Hanson, Interim President and CEO of The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). “For more than 55 years, health centers have provided high quality care to underserved communities across the country and are on the front lines of addressing the mental health crisis confronting our nation. This legislation is essential for the ability of health centers to hire more providers and reach more patients in need."
A copy of the full bill text of the Mental Health Workforce and Language Access Act can be found here.
