Congress includes mental illness, substance use disorders funding in 2020 spending bill

Congress passed a $1.4 trillion spending bill this week for fiscal year 2020 with provisions that will fund treatment programs and medical research for people with substance use disorders and mental illnesses.

“This budget included many investments in programs that will hopefully help relieve the millions of Americans who suffer as a result of the opioid crisis,” Bruce Schwartz, MD, president of the American Psychiatric Association, said in a press release. “APA is also pleased to see funding for research into preventing firearm injury deaths, a provision we’ve supported alongside other medical professionals for many years.”

The funding provisions include the following, among others:

• $1.5 billion for state opioid response grants and $800 million for opioid-related research;

• $5.9 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration;

• $41.68 billion for the NIH, with $2 billion designated for the NIMH; and

• funding to extend the Certified Community Health Clinic demonstration program and other expiring health care programs through to May 22, 2020.

“We are pleased that Congress has also funded the APA-supported loan repayment program that will encourage psychiatrists and others to serve communities in need, especially those with high opioid use that also have a shortage of clinicians,” Saul Levin, MD, MPA, CEO and medical director of the APA, said in the release. “This is an important piece of addressing physician shortages across the country.”

Disclosures : Levin and Schwartz are employed by the APA.