Xavier Becerra United States Secretary of Health and Human Services | Official Website
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has made significant strides in the field of mental health, with several accomplishments to its credit. The administration launched 988, a helpline that has received over 9.5 million calls since July 2022. In addition to this, HHS invested more than $1.5 billion, improved answer rates to over 90 percent across all modalities, and introduced nationwide text and chat services in English and Spanish.
Between 2021 and 2024, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) invested over $1.75 billion in the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Expansion grant program through the American Rescue Plan and Annual Appropriations. This initiative brought guaranteed access to comprehensive coordinated behavioral health services to 473 communities across the country.
In July 2024, SAMHSA and CMS added ten states to the CCBHC demonstration after a year of intensive work with fifteen states for planning and development of CCBHC programs. This move created a sustainable payment structure enabling comprehensive mental health and substance use services for Medicaid-eligible individuals accessing care at CCBHCs.
For FY 2024, SAMHSA provided $1.01 billion in funding through the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (MHBG) to various jurisdictions including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S Virgin Islands, six Pacific jurisdictions, and all fifty states. MHBG grantees serve approximately 8.3 million people by supporting public mental health systems in providing community-based mental health services.
New Medicare mental health crisis codes were launched for sixty-five million Medicare seniors while federal incentives were implemented for a round-the-clock mobile crisis benefit in Medicaid which was adopted by eighteen states along with the District of Columbia.
As part of efforts to expand the behavioral health workforce from January 1, 2024, more than four hundred thousand Marriage and Family Therapists and Mental Health Counselors became eligible to independently treat more people with Medicare. For those with Medicare Advantage, CMS finalized a requirement for 2025 that plans include an adequate number of Outpatient Behavioral Health facilities in their provider networks.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded nearly $60 million in funding through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to support the integration of mental health training into primary care clinicians' training. HRSA also supports over 18,000 primary care medical, dental, and behavioral health providers through scholarships and loan repayment programs via the National Health Service Corps.
SAMHSA awarded $185.7 million in funding for 299 child and family-serving grants through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. These grantees are supporting health efforts across 231 cities in 47 states, DC, and three territories.
In partnership with tribes, Indian Health Service expanded telebehavioral health services to Tribal communities. Over the past three years, IHS conducted 266,736 telebehavioral health visits which translated to over $1 million in avoided travel costs and over 25,000 hours of work or school not missed.
CDC awards $21M per year to 24 recipients to carry out the Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Program. In December 2023,CDC released its Mental Health Action Guide to help school leaders promote students’ mental health.
