Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023

To amend the Public Health Service Act to modify the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce to relieve workforce shortages. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023 2. Loan repayment program for substance use disorder treatment workforce Section 781 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 295h (1) In subsection (a)(2), by inserting , or the individuals each agree to complete a period of service in a mental health professional shortage area (2) in subsection (c)— (A) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (5) as paragraphs (3) through (6), respectively; and (B) by inserting after paragraph (1), the following: (2) Any loan used for obtaining a degree from an accredited institution of higher education for education in mental health or a related field leading to a master’s degree, leading to a doctoral degree, or consisting of post-doctoral study. ; (3) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following: (d) Requirements of service Any individual receiving payments under this program as required by an agreement under subsection (a) shall agree— (1) to an annual commitment to full-time employment, with no more than 1 year passing between any 2 years of covered employment, in substance use disorder treatment employment in the United States in— (A) a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area, as designated under section 332; or (B) a county (or a municipality, if not contained within any county) where the mean drug overdose death rate per 100,000 people over the past 3 years for which official data is available from the State, is higher than the most recent available national average overdose death rate per 100,000 people, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; or (2) to up to 6 years of full-time employment, with no more than 1 year passing between any 2 years of covered employment, in behavioral and mental health employment in the United States in— (A) a mental health professional shortage area of greatest need, as determined by the Secretary for the purposes of this section, as designated under section 332; or (B) any facility, program, center, or clinic as determined appropriate by the Secretary for purposes of this section because of a shortage of mental health professionals, including private physician practices and other medical facilities designated under section 332(a) as having such a shortage. ; (4) in subsection (e)(2), by inserting 338B, 338I, or 846 of this Act, section under section (5) in subsection (h)(2), by inserting and behavioral and mental health services employees treatment employees (6) in subsection (i)— (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (3) as paragraphs (2) through (4), respectively; and (B) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so redesignated), the following: (1) The term ‘behavioral and mental health employment’ means full-time employment (including a fellowship) where the primary intent and function of the position is the direct treatment or recovery support of patients with or in recovery from a behavioral health or mental health disorder, which may include a physician (with a degree of doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathy), a psychiatric nurse, a social worker, a marriage and family therapist, a mental health counselor, an occupational therapist, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, or a neurologist. ; and (7) in subsection (j), by striking $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023 $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2032

Summary: Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023 This bill reauthorizes through FY2032 and expands the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. Through this program, the Health Resources and Services Administration provides loan repayment assistance to individuals who agree to work for a period of time in the field of substance use disorder treatment. In particular, the bill expands eligibility to include individuals who agree to work in mental health professional shortage areas for a period of time. The bill also allows the use of the loan repayment assistance to repay any loan incurred to obtain a post-graduate degree in a mental health or related field. (Current law limits the loans eligible for repayment to loans for education and training for substance use disorder treatment employment and specified nursing and federal education loans.)