HHS invests $27M to expand pediatric mental health services

The HHS is investing $27 million to improve mental health care for children, according to a press release.

“President Biden has made strengthening the nation’s mental health a top priority, and, with this funding, we’re taking new steps to deliver,” Xavier Becerra, HHS secretary said in the release. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and the American Rescue Plan, we are doubling down to invest in strengthening children’s mental health services in hospitals and schools. Our children are our future and they deserve expanded access to care.”

Even before the pandemic began, the U.S. was facing a mental health crisis, which was only exacerbated by the pandemic. As a result, the Biden Administration made expanding mental health services a key part of their Unity agenda. Funding for the Pediatric Mental Health Care Access program was included in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and the American Rescue Plan to allow pediatric primary care providers to consult with mental health specialists and increase support for school-based health providers.

An award of $300,000 will be distributed through 48 grants within the Pediatric Mental Health Access Program. The HHS also plans to award three national organizations a total of $3.2 million for technical assistance to expand and improve programs. In addition, $9 million in funding will go toward new programs under the American Rescue Plan.

Alongside this announcement, the U.S. Department of Education released notices to apply for grant programs for a total of $280 million to go toward increasing access to school-based mental health care.