His first mental health action plan was released March 1. He proposed increasing the capacity of the country’s mental health system by creating a larger provider workforce; launching the three-digit crisis response line; expanding community mental health services; putting more funding into mental health research; and making mental health services more accessible.
The administration’s amended plan adds two more actions to tackle the mental health crisis.
1. Starting disbursement of nearly $300 million to help schools hire more qualified mental health professionals.
2. Providing guidance to states on how to ensure residents receive all mental health-related services required by law and make it easier to bill Medicaid for services.
Last month, President Biden signed the bipartisan Safer Communities Act to increase mental health funding by $1.7 billion.
President Biden’s plan for fiscal year 2023 proposes a budget increase of over $27 billion for extra mental health funding and a plan to distribute another $100 billion to mental health services over the next 10 years.
