By Ashlee Banks
Special to the AFRO
Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.-12) has reintroduced the “Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act,” a critical piece of legislation that seeks to address the mental health crisis affecting youth, particularly Black youth. The bill aims to expand access to mental health services, enhance research on racial and ethnic disparities in mental health and support culturally competent care providers. It is a call to action to ensure that Black youth, who are disproportionately affected by mental health challenges, receive the support and care they need.
Originally introduced in 2019, the bill was inspired by the Emergency Taskforce on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health report, “Ring the Alarm: The Crisis of Black Youth Suicide in America,” which highlighted the alarming rise in suicide rates among Black youth. In response to this report, Rep. Coleman has worked alongside U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), who introduced a companion bill in the Senate.
U.S. Rep. Coleman stated that the youth are facing “a crisis of despair.”
“This crisis is most pronounced in communities of color, where access to mental health resources is often kept out of reach,” Rep. Coleman said in a statement to the AFRO. “My bill would provide necessary investments in mental health support services to face this crisis head-on. These young people are the future of our country, and we have an obligation to provide them with the support they need to live happy, healthy, fulfilling lives.”
Sen. Hirono said in a statement that there is a need for greater mental health equity.
“While mental health challenges affect us all, communities of color are often disproportionately impacted and lack access to the resources needed to overcome these challenges,” she said in a statement to the AFRO. “By authorizing funding to support clinical research, establish a national education and outreach strategy to reduce mental health stigma, and develop culturally-competent training for primary care providers, the ‘Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act’ will help to improve access to mental health care for minorities.”
The legislation proposes to authorize $995 million in grants over the next five years to support research and enhance the quality and accessibility of mental healthcare. The bill calls for $750 million annually for the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to support research focused on minority health and mental health disparities for the youth. Additionally, it authorizes $150 million annually for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support clinical research into racial and ethnic disparities in physical and mental health. The bill also allocates $15 million annually for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reduce stigma surrounding mental health and substance abuse in minority communities.
Moreover, the “Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act” seeks to reauthorize the Primary and Behavioral Health Care Grant Program, with a special focus on areas with high proportions of racial and ethnic minority groups. This program would receive $80 million annually through 2029. The bill further calls for amendments to the “Public Health Service Act” to promote best practices in addressing mental health disparities within minority communities.
The bill comes at a time when Black youth are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis. A report from the in 2018 revealed that Black children between the ages of 5 and 12 have a suicide rate higher than that of their White peers. Additionally, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics found a rise in suicide attempts among Black teenagers, with the number increasing by 73 percent between 1997 and 2017.
The “Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act” is supported by a number of organizations, including the Defensive Line, McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research, National Black Justice Coalition, Sandy Hook Promise and Soul Survivors Chicago.
Mark Barden, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund, emphasized the bill’s potential impact.
“Our nation’s youth are experiencing an unprecedented mental health crisis that demands immediate action,” he said. “The ‘Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act’ is a critical step forward to expand access to mental healthcare and suicide prevention initiatives so that young people, particularly in marginalized communities, can receive the help they need.”
The bill also has the support of youth leaders like Ayaan Moledina, federal policy director for Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT), who stated, “‘The Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act’ is about closing those gaps, investing in culturally competent care, and making sure that every young person, no matter their background, gets the support they need to thrive.”
Rep. Coleman hopes to get enough support from her colleagues to pass “The Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act” to empower Black youth and provide competent care that will address disparities in mental health.