Topic: Health — Mental
Subject: Health
Date: 2014-05-06 00:00:00

Strengthening Mental Health in Our Communities Act of 2014 - Establishes the White House Office of Mental Health Policy to monitor federal mental health activities and develop a National Strategy for Mental Health, a comprehensive plan to provide services to individuals with mental illness.

Amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize through FY 2019 various mental health grant programs, including programs for youth suicide prevention, homeless individuals, and diverting individuals with mental illness from the criminal justice system.

Replaces youth interagency research, training, and technical assistance centers with a suicide prevention technical assistance center and authorizes the center through FY2019.

Revises and extends through FY2019 grant programs to provide: (1) comprehensive community mental health services for children with serious emotional disturbances, and (2) for continued operation of the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI).

Requires the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to create a national media public service campaign to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness.

Directs SAMHSA to award grants to states to create a Web-based acute psychiatric bed registry to facilitate the placement and treatment of individuals in psychiatric crisis.

Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require coverage of antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs.

Eliminates Medicare's 190-day lifetime limit on inpatient psychiatric hospital services.

Expands Medicare coverage to include marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services.

Authorizes through FY2019 additional appropriations for National Health Service Corps scholarships and loan repayments to ensure an adequate supply of behavioral and mental health professionals.

Native American Psychiatric and Mental Health Care Improvement Act - Directs the Secretary to award one grant to a medical school to recruit and train psychiatric physicians for Indian health programs. Makes participating physicians eligible for the Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program.

Adds occupational therapists to the National Health Service Corps to address shortages in health professional shortage areas.

Requires the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health to conduct or support research on the causes, prevention, and treatment of serious mental illness and violence associated with mental illness.

Allows the Director of the National Institutes of Health to establish a Youth Mental Health Research Network to conduct or support youth mental health research and intervention services.

Revises and extends through FY2019 a program for children dealing with violence.

Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to extend through FY2019 collaboration program grants and expand assistance to veterans and inmates with mental illness.

Applies Medicaid, Medicare, and Medicare Advantage incentives for implementation of electronic health records to specified mental health professionals and facilities.

Requires the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to provide individuals enlisting in the Armed Forces with a mental health assessment to be used as a baseline for subsequent assessments.

Directs DOD to furnish needed care for mental illness to any veteran who served on active duty in a combat zone.

Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a pilot program for repaying student loans in exchange for service as a psychiatrist in the Veterans Health Administration.