Improving Mental Health Access from the Emergency Department Act of 2021
Bill: S.2157 | Sponsor: Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore (R-WV)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Improving Mental Health Access from the Emergency Department Act of 2021
This bill authorizes a grant program for emergency departments to increase access to follow-up psychiatric services for individuals who present for care of acute mental-health episodes. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration may award these grants.

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 
the Director of the Center for Mental Health Services of the Substance 
  Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to award grants to 
     implement innovative approaches to securing prompt access to 
  appropriate follow-on care for individuals who experience an acute 
mental health episode and present for care in an emergency department, 
                        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 ``Improving Mental Health Access from 
the Emergency Department Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. SECURING APPROPRIATE FOLLOW-ON CARE FOR ACUTE MENTAL HEALTH 
              ILLNESS AFTER AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT ENCOUNTER.

    The Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after section 
520J of such Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb-41) the following new section:

``SEC. 520J-1. SECURING APPROPRIATE FOLLOW-ON CARE FOR ACUTE MENTAL 
              HEALTH ILLNESS AFTER AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT ENCOUNTER.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary may award grants on a competitive 
basis to qualifying health providers to implement innovative approaches 
to securing prompt access to appropriate follow-on care for individuals 
who experience an acute mental health episode and present for care in 
an emergency department.
    ``(b) Eligible Grant Recipients.--In this section, the term 
`qualifying health provider' means a health care facility licensed 
under applicable law that--
            ``(1) has an emergency department;
            ``(2) is staffed by medical personnel (such as emergency 
        physicians, psychiatrists, psychiatric registered nurses, 
        mental health technicians, clinical social 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 providers of 
        care that can provide a full range of medically-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 establish, 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 
appropriate facility or setting for follow-on care. Such use of funds 
may support the following:
            ``(1) Expediting placement in appropriate facilities 
        through activities such as expanded coordination with regional 
        service providers, assessment, peer navigators, bed 
        availability tracking and management, transfer protocol 
        development, networking infrastructure development, and 
        transportation services.
            ``(2) Increasing the supply of inpatient psychiatric beds 
        and alternative care settings such as regional emergency 
        psychiatric facilities.
            ``(3) Use of alternative approaches to providing 
        psychiatric care in the emergency department setting, including 
        through tele-psychiatric support and other remote psychiatric 
        consultation, implementation of peak period crisis clinics, or 
        creation of psychiatric 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 the Secretary determines 
        appropriate, consistent with subsection (a).
    ``(d) Application.--A qualifying health provider desiring a grant 
under this section shall 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 coordinate 
        efforts with Federal, State, local, and private 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 appropriated $15,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2022 through 2026.''.
                                 <all>