For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16), along with 16 of his colleagues, introduced the  ACCESS In Mental Health Act. 

To address the systemic issues in our nation’s mental health system, Congressman Bowman (NY-16) introduced the Advancing Culturally Competent and Equitable Supportive Services (ACCESS) in Mental Health Act. This bill would:

• Provide grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) including Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) to create, expand, or improve graduate programs in mental health fields. These fields include psychology, counseling, social work, psychiatry, school-based mental health professions, substance use disorder prevention and treatment, and more. 

• Provide grants of $10,000 per year to students pursuing graduate degrees in mental health fields at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to help cover the cost of attendance.

“As an educator for 20 years, I saw firsthand how the lack of mental health professionals and culturally responsive care impacted my students and their families,” said Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16). “Not only do we need more mental health professionals in our communities and schools, but we need more Black and Brown mental health professionals who are equipped to provide culturally responsive and trauma-informed care. My ACCESS in Mental Health Act would work to rectify the lack of diversity in the mental health workforce by providing grants to HBCUs, TCUs, HSIs, MSIs, and their students, to create and expand programs and to support tuition costs. We’ve been facing a national mental health crisis over the last few years and Congress must begin to take action by strengthening our mental health workforce and investing in opportunities for young people from all communities to enter mental health fields.”  

“As our country faces a mental health crisis, we must do everything in our power to address this issue head on,” said Congressman Tony Cárdenas. “The ACCESS in Mental Health Act does just that by investing in the buildup and diversification of our mental health workforce in order to provide more Americans with the access to culturally responsive health professionals and care.”

To read the bill summary click here.

To read the bill click here.

The ACCESS In Mental Health Act is cosponsored by: Reps. Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Barbara Lee (CA-12), Summer Lee (PA-12), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Grace F. Napolitano (CA-31), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12)

The ACCESS in Mental Health Act is endorsed by: American Psychological Association, American Federation of Teachers, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, National Association of Social Workers, American Mental Health Counselors Association, National Association of School Psychologists, American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Anxiety and Depression Association of America, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Counseling Association, American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work, International OCD Foundation, Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, and Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, and Young Invincibles.

“The American Psychological Association strongly supports the ACCESS in Mental Health Act and applauds Representative Bowman for his leadership,” said Arthur C. Evans, Jr., PhD, CEO of the American Psychological Association. “The need for a diverse, representative, culturally and linguistically competent mental health workforce is necessary now, more than ever. The ACCESS in Mental Health Act will help make this a reality by building, strengthening, and supporting pathways to degrees in mental health fields within institutions of higher education that have historically educated predominantly students of color.” 

“Too many of our students are struggling with their mental wellness, making it harder for them to do well in school, pursue their passions, and develop the skills they need in adulthood,” said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers. “Whether it's cyberbullying and too much exposure to harmful accounts on social media, the isolation and loneliness from the pandemic, or the trauma from witnessing gun violence, the need for more robust mental health services in schools has gone dramatically unmet, particularly in under-resourced schools and communities. Schools should be able to provide more than just academic support, especially because often, schools are one of the only consistent places of safety for kids. Congressman Bowman's bill tackles this need head-on by increasing the number of mental health professionals available to work with students. It establishes and expands graduate programs so more folks can enter this profession, and it makes them more affordable too. Every day, AFT educators and healthcare professionals see the impact these challenges have on our next generation, so we know first-hand: it’s more important than ever to pass the ACCESS in Mental Health Act as soon as possible.”