WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) recently reintroduced the Achieving Thorough Transparency & Accessibility for Information Navigation (ATTAIN) Mental Health Act. This bipartisan legislation would create a user-friendly online dashboard to assist applicants in identifying federal grants that support mental health and address substance abuse.
“Our country is experiencing a serious mental health crisis — especially in more rural areas where resources can be limited. By creating a streamlined online dashboard of federal mental health programs, our legislation will make it easier for communities to access critical grants,”said Senator Fischer.
“Right now, too many people don’t have access to the mental or behavioral health care they need. This bipartisan legislation will improve access to mental health care by making it easier for organizations to apply for mental health grant funding. I'll be working to move it forward with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle,” said Senator Smith.
Support for the ATTAIN Mental Health Act:
“There is a dire lack of mental health resources in our communities. Senator Fischer’s ATTAIN Act will help ensure that our schools and local communities are aware of federal and state mental health grants that may be available to them. NAMI is proud to support the ATTAIN Act to help our communities receive the mental health resources they desperately need,” said Hannah Wesolowski, Chief Advocacy Officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
“The ATTAIN Mental Health Act will allow a diverse group of stakeholders within community-based settings, such as clinics, schools, and nonprofit organizations, to have improved awareness of federal mental health grant funding availability and the guidelines to access those funds. This web-based resource will assist mental and behavioral health service providers with ease of access to information and help to get funding to the communities who are most in need,” said Anthony Estreet, PhD, MBA, LCSW-C, Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Social Workers.
“Our nation’s law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities. However, officers are often expected to be therapists, addiction specialists, and mental health experts — which they are not trained to do. Sadly, county jails, tribal detention centers, and state prisons are the nation’s largest providers of mental health services, and many rely on federal resources to access mental health resources for their incarcerated. The ATTAIN Mental Health Act will establish an online dashboard that will allow the public to see federal grant information related to mental health programs and provide law enforcement agencies as well as state and local prisons access to information about federal mental health grants and resources faster and more efficiently to better serve their community. We applaud the work of Senators Fischer and Smith on this bill and for their outreach to the FOP on this important issue,” Fraternal Order of Police President Patrick Yoes.
Background:
The ATTAIN Mental Health Act would establish an interactive, web-based dashboard for potential applicants from a variety of sectors across our communities — such as state and local educational agencies, nonprofits, faith- and community-based organizations, mental health treatment facilities, municipal governments, tribal governments, and first responders. The dashboard would provide organizations with the ability to review eligibility and status information for mental health grant funding across multiple federal agencies. The legislation would task the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with developing this online tool in a collaborative interagency effort.
The legislation has been endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the First Responders Foundation, At Ease USA, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and the American Psychiatric Association (APA).
Read the full text of the bill here.
“Our country is experiencing a serious mental health crisis — especially in more rural areas where resources can be limited. By creating a streamlined online dashboard of federal mental health programs, our legislation will make it easier for communities to access critical grants,”said Senator Fischer.
“Right now, too many people don’t have access to the mental or behavioral health care they need. This bipartisan legislation will improve access to mental health care by making it easier for organizations to apply for mental health grant funding. I'll be working to move it forward with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle,” said Senator Smith.
Support for the ATTAIN Mental Health Act:
“There is a dire lack of mental health resources in our communities. Senator Fischer’s ATTAIN Act will help ensure that our schools and local communities are aware of federal and state mental health grants that may be available to them. NAMI is proud to support the ATTAIN Act to help our communities receive the mental health resources they desperately need,” said Hannah Wesolowski, Chief Advocacy Officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
“The ATTAIN Mental Health Act will allow a diverse group of stakeholders within community-based settings, such as clinics, schools, and nonprofit organizations, to have improved awareness of federal mental health grant funding availability and the guidelines to access those funds. This web-based resource will assist mental and behavioral health service providers with ease of access to information and help to get funding to the communities who are most in need,” said Anthony Estreet, PhD, MBA, LCSW-C, Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Social Workers.
“Our nation’s law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities. However, officers are often expected to be therapists, addiction specialists, and mental health experts — which they are not trained to do. Sadly, county jails, tribal detention centers, and state prisons are the nation’s largest providers of mental health services, and many rely on federal resources to access mental health resources for their incarcerated. The ATTAIN Mental Health Act will establish an online dashboard that will allow the public to see federal grant information related to mental health programs and provide law enforcement agencies as well as state and local prisons access to information about federal mental health grants and resources faster and more efficiently to better serve their community. We applaud the work of Senators Fischer and Smith on this bill and for their outreach to the FOP on this important issue,” Fraternal Order of Police President Patrick Yoes.
Background:
The ATTAIN Mental Health Act would establish an interactive, web-based dashboard for potential applicants from a variety of sectors across our communities — such as state and local educational agencies, nonprofits, faith- and community-based organizations, mental health treatment facilities, municipal governments, tribal governments, and first responders. The dashboard would provide organizations with the ability to review eligibility and status information for mental health grant funding across multiple federal agencies. The legislation would task the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with developing this online tool in a collaborative interagency effort.
The legislation has been endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the First Responders Foundation, At Ease USA, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and the American Psychiatric Association (APA).
Read the full text of the bill here.
