Overhead view of Sacramento

Congresswoman Matsui Joins Colleagues in Unveiling Mental Health Legislation

October 4, 2017
Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 6, 2014

CONTACT: JONELLE TRIMMER
(202) 225-7163

Congresswoman Matsui Joins Colleagues in Unveiling Mental Health Legislation

Representatives announce comprehensive, proactive approach to combating mental illness

Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-06), joined by her colleagues Reps. Ron Barber (AZ-2), Diana DeGette (CO-1), Grace Napolitano (CA-32), and Paul Tonko (NY-20), introduced legislation that would take a comprehensive, proactive approach to mental health issues. The Strengthening Mental Health in Our Communities Act of 2014 renews a commitment to improving the lives of individuals and families impacted by mental illness by maximizing access to and increasing the impact of community-based services, making new investments in prevention and early intervention of mental illness, and advancing research into mental health.

"The Strengthening Mental Health in Our Communities Act represents forward-looking mental health policy, rather than policy that is stuck in the past. It builds off of the recently enacted bipartisan Excellence in Mental Health Act which I sponsored with Congressman Lance by growing our mental health workforce and making new investments in treatment and early intervention of mental illness," said Congresswoman Matsui. "I am also pleased the bill includes my Protect Patients Act, which creates another tool to ensure the safety of patients is being protected by ensuring that hospitals that engage in atrocious examples of patient dumping are held accountable."

This legislation represents a new, inclusive and far-reaching approach to fighting mental illness. It includes the Protect Patients Act, legislation introduced by Congresswoman Matsui to protect patients and deter hospitals and psychiatric hospitals from improperly discharging psychiatric patients.

Among the other provisions, the legislation would:

  • Create a White House Office for Mental Health Policy that is responsible for developing and implementing a national strategy to combat mental health;
  • Bolster mental health for veterans and active duty service members;
  • Establish a Mental Health Advisory Board of individuals with mental illness, parents and guardians of individuals with mental illness, mental health professionals, and others;
  • Strengthen and invest in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) programs;
  • Improve Medicaid and Medicare mental health services and provide parity of mental health services;
  • Develop the Behavioral Health Workforce, providing access to quality mental health care in communities nationwide
  • Enhance mental health research and coordination
  • Provide grants for schools and communities to create comprehensive mental health program

A full description of programs and initiatives proposed by the Strengthening Mental Health in Our Communities Act of 2014 can be found at http://barber.house.gov/mental-health.

"We need sound and smart mental health policies. This bill is it. I hope all of my colleagues - Democratic and Republican alike - will join me in supporting this bill," added Matsui.

Just last month, Congresswoman Matsui's bipartisan legislation H.R. 1263, the Excellence in Mental Health Act, was signed into law by President Obama. This is the first piece of meaningful legislation to increase access to mental health services Congress has passed since the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.

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