Biden administration to invest $240M to expand mental health, substance use access

The Biden administration will invest $240 million to expand mental health and substance use disorder services in more than 400 community health centers.

A Mental Health America 2024 report revealed significant gaps in care, with nearly 1 in 5 U.S. youths experiencing a major depressive episode in the past year and 10% of adults with mental illness who remained uninsured, according to a Sept. 19 news release from HHS. The report also found the majority of individuals with a substance use disorder do not receive proper care. 

The administration called on Congress to require behavioral health services in all 1,400 Health Resources and Services Administration-funded health centers nationwide, which serve more than 31 million people. Currently, these centers meet only a fraction of the demand for mental health and substance use treatment, the release said. 

In 2023, legislation in the Senate proposed making behavioral health a core service at these centers, and the administration is pushing for further congressional action to secure the expansion. 

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