WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) a member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP), announced her co-sponsorship of the Improving Mental Health Access from the Emergency Department Act, bipartisan legislation led by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) to improve access to emergency mental health resources at hospitals.
“Far too many Nevadans are denied the appropriate psychiatric care they need due to a lack of resources,” said Senator Rosen. “Communities in Nevada and across the country will greatly benefit from additional access to mental health resources in emergency situations. I’m proud to work across the aisle with my colleagues on legislation that will improve our nation’s overall health.”
BACKGROUND: This bill would create a new grant program of $15 million per year, for five years, for hospitals to better treat mental health patients who come to the ER by increasing the supply of inpatient psychiatric beds and appropriately connecting patients with mental health services in the community.
Last month, Senator Rosen announced her co-sponsorship of S. 824, the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act, bipartisan legislation to extend a pilot program for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) across the country for an additional two years.
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