Helping Kids Cope Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.4944 | Sponsor: Rep. Blunt Rochester, Lisa (D-DE)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Helping Kids Cope Act of 2021
This bill provides funding through FY2026 to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for grants to enhance access to and provider training in pediatric behavioral health care.
Specifically, HRSA must award grants to pediatricians, children's hospitals, and other providers to support pediatric behavioral health integration and coordination within communities. Grant-funded activities may include hiring community navigators to assist families in accessing appropriate services, incorporating behavioral health services in pediatric practices, and delivering services via telehealth.
In addition, HRSA must award grants to children's hospitals to expand training for providers in the pediatric behavioral health workforce.

To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants to support 
pediatric behavioral health care integration and coordination, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Helping Kids Cope Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT PEDIATRIC BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE.

    Subpart V of part D of title III of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 256) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 340A-1. GRANTS TO SUPPORT PEDIATRIC BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE 
              INTEGRATION AND COORDINATION.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Administrator 
of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall award grants 
to eligible entities for the purpose of supporting pediatric behavioral 
health care integration and coordination within communities to meet 
local community needs.
    ``(b) Eligible Entities.--Entities eligible for grants under 
subsection (a) include--
            ``(1) pediatricians;
            ``(2) children's hospitals;
            ``(3) pediatric behavioral health providers with the 
        capacity to organize and implement activities working with 
        community organizations and providers; and
            ``(4) other entities as determined appropriate by the 
        Secretary.
    ``(c) Prioritization.--In awarding grants under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall prioritize applicants that demonstrate the highest 
needs at the local level along the care continuum for strengthening 
children's behavioral health crisis care and access.
    ``(d) Use of Funds.--Activities that may be funded through a grant 
under subsection (a) include--
            ``(1) the recruitment and retention of community health 
        workers or navigators to coordinate family access to pediatric 
        mental, emotional, and behavioral health services;
            ``(2) training the pediatric mental, emotional, and 
        behavioral health care workforce, relevant stakeholders, and 
        community members;
            ``(3) expanding evidence-based, integrated models of care 
        for pediatric mental, emotional, and behavioral health 
        services;
            ``(4) pediatric practice integration for the provision of 
        pediatric mental, emotional, and behavioral health services;
            ``(5) addressing surge capacity for pediatric mental, 
        emotional, and behavioral health needs;
            ``(6) providing pediatric mental, emotional, and behavioral 
        health services to children as delivered by behavioral, 
        emotional, and mental health professionals utilizing telehealth 
        services;
            ``(7) establishing or maintaining initiatives to decompress 
        emergency departments, including partial hospitalization, step 
        down residency programs, and intensive outpatient programs;
            ``(8) supporting, enhancing, or expanding pediatric mental, 
        emotional, and behavioral health preventive and crisis 
        intervention services;
            ``(9) establishing or maintaining pediatric mental, 
        emotional, and behavioral health urgent care;
            ``(10) establishing or maintaining community-based 
        initiatives, such as school-based partnerships; and
            ``(11) addressing other access and coordination gaps to 
        mental, emotional, and behavioral health services in the 
        community for children.
    ``(e) Funding.--To carry out this section, there is hereby 
appropriated, out of amounts in the Treasury not otherwise obligated, 
$500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

``SEC. 340A-2. PEDIATRIC BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Administrator 
of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall award grants 
to eligible entities for the purpose of supporting evidence-based 
pediatric behavioral health workforce training.
    ``(b) Eligible Entities.--Entities eligible for grants under 
subsection (a) include--
            ``(1) children's hospitals; and
            ``(2) other pediatric health care providers as determined 
        appropriate by the Secretary.
    ``(c) Use of Funds.--The training that may be supported through a 
grant under subsection (a) includes expanded training in pediatric 
behavioral health for physicians and nonphysician practitioners, 
including the following practitioner types:
            ``(1) Child and adolescent psychiatrists.
            ``(2) Psychiatric nurses.
            ``(3) Psychologists.
            ``(4) Advanced practice nurses.
            ``(5) Family therapists.
            ``(6) Social workers.
            ``(7) Mental health counselors.
            ``(8) Other practitioner types as determined appropriate by 
        the Secretary.
    ``(d) Funding.--To carry out this section, there is hereby 
appropriated, out of amounts in the Treasury not otherwise obligated, 
$100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.''.
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