cial workers, psychologists, and therapists) capable 
of providing treatment focused on stabilizing acute 
mental health conditions and assisting patients to 
access resources to continue treatment in the least 
restrictive appropriate setting; and 
‘‘(3) has arrangements in place with other pro-
viders of care that can provide a full range of medi-
cally appropriate, evidence-based services for the 
treatment of acute mental health episodes. 
‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.—A qualifying health provider 
receiving funds under this section shall use such funds to 
create, support, or expand programs or projects intended 
to assist individuals who are treated at the provider’s 
emergency department for acute mental health episodes 
and to expeditiously transition such individuals to an ap-
propriate facility or setting for follow-on care. Such use 
of funds may support the following: 
‘‘(1) Expediting placement in appropriate facili-
ties through activities such as expanded coordination 
with regional service providers, assessment, peer 
navigators, bed availability tracking and manage-
ment, transfer protocol development, networking in-
frastructure development, and transportation serv-
ices.
‘‘(2) Increasing the supply of inpatient psy-
chiatric beds and alternative care settings such as 
regional emergency psychiatric facilities. 
‘‘(3) Use of alternative approaches to providing 
psychiatric care in the emergency department set-
ting, including through tele-psychiatric support and 
other remote psychiatric consultation, implementa-
tion of peak period crisis clinics, or creation of psy-
chiatric emergency service units. 
‘‘(4) Use of approaches that include proactive 
followup such as telephone check-ins, telemedicine, 
or other technology-based outreach to individuals 
during the period of transition. 
‘‘(5) Such other activities as are determined by 
the Secretary to be appropriate, consistent with sub-
section (a). 
‘‘(d) APPLICATION.—A qualifying health provider de-
siring a grant under this section shall prepare and submit 
an application to the Secretary at such time and in such 
manner as the Secretary may require. At a minimum, the 
application shall include the following: 
‘‘(1) A description of identified need for acute 
mental health services in the provider’s service area. 
‘‘(2) A description of the existing efforts of the 
provider to meet the need for acute mental health
services in the service area, and identified gaps in 
the provision of such services. 
‘‘(3) A description of the proposed use of funds 
to meet the need and gaps identified pursuant to 
paragraph (2). 
‘‘(4) A description of how the provider will co-
ordinate efforts with Federal, State, local, and pri-
vate entities within the service area. 
‘‘(5) A description of program objectives, how 
the objectives are proposed to be met, and how the 
provider will evaluate outcomes relative to objectives. 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—To 
carry out this section, there is authorized to be appro-
priated $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 
2026.’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives May 12, 2021. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 1205 
AN ACT 
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, acting through the Director of the Cen-
ter for Mental Health Services of the Substance 
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administra-
tion, to award grants to implement innovative ap-
proaches to securing prompt access to appro-
priate follow-on care for individuals who experi-
ence an acute mental health episode and present 
for care in an emergency department, and for 
other purposes.