Sponsors (3)
The bill funds training and digital supports to expand community mental wellness workers and access to basic counseling in underserved areas, at a modest federal cost and with administrative, capacity, and liability limits that may constrain its overall reach.
People in low‑income, rural, and tribal communities gain locally funded training programs that increase the number of community mental wellness workers available in their areas.
People with mild‑to‑moderate mental health conditions (including those at risk of suicide) gain increased access to screening and basic evidence‑informed counseling through more trained community mental wellness workers.
Hospitals, health systems, and rural programs get grant‑funded digital platforms for training, supervision, quality monitoring, and outcomes evaluation that enable remote training and program oversight.
Low‑income, rural, and other high‑need areas may still be underserved because the $25 million per year funding level is limited relative to nationwide need for trained community mental wellness workers.
All taxpayers bear a new federal cost of about $25 million annually from FY2026–2030 to fund the program.
Grant recipients (hospitals, community providers, and other eligible entities) face added administrative burdens and compliance requirements, including personnel disclosures and regular evaluation reporting to HHS.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes HHS grants and technical assistance to train, certify, supervise, and support community mental wellness workers and related digital and quality‑monitoring activities.
Official title: To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to award grants to train community mental wellness workers, and for other purposes.
Introduced October 10, 2025 by Adriano J. Espaillat · Last progress October 10, 2025
Creates a federal grant program at HHS to train and support a new workforce of community mental wellness workers. The grants fund training, certification, supervision, screening, evidence‑informed brief counseling (including suicide safety planning), digital training platforms, quality monitoring, evaluation, and technical assistance, with priorities for underserved, high‑poverty, high‑substance‑use, and high dual‑eligible communities.