[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4812 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4812
To establish a pilot program to address behavioral health needs among
children, adolescents, and young adults, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 25, 2024
Ms. Butler (for herself and Ms. Murkowski) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a pilot program to address behavioral health needs among
children, adolescents, and young adults, 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 ``Strengthening Supports for Youth
Act''.
SEC. 2. BEST PRACTICES FOR PARENTS, CAREGIVERS, AND FAMILIES.
(a) In General.--The Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and
Substance Use (referred to in this section as the ``Assistant
Secretary'') shall, within a relevant existing program of the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, carry out a pilot
program under which the Assistant Secretary awards competitive grants
to eligible entities to support parents, families, and caregivers in
addressing behavioral health needs among children, adolescents, and
young adults.
(b) Eligible Entities.--In this section, the term ``eligible
entity'' means--
(1) a nonprofit organization with appropriate expertise in
providing evidence-based or evidence-informed services or
programs for children, adolescents, young adults, or families;
(2) a nonprofit organization with an evidence-based or
evidence-informed focus on mental health or substance use
prevention, including such an organization with a focus on
children, adolescents, young adults, or families who have lived
experience of a mental health or substance use disorder;
(3) a child welfare agency;
(4) a family and youth homeless service provider;
(5) a local educational agency (as defined in section 8101
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 7801));
(6) a State educational agency (as defined in such section
8101);
(7) a State, a political subdivision of a State, or an
Indian Tribe or Tribal organization (as defined in section 4 of
the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25
U.S.C. 5304)); or
(8) a high school or dormitory serving high school students
that receives funding from the Bureau of Indian Education.
(c) Use of Funds.--Grants awarded under subsection (a) shall be
used by eligible entities to address behavioral health needs and
bolster behavioral health support services for children, adolescents,
and young adults by developing and disseminating evidence-based or
evidence-informed best practices for parents, caregivers, and families
related to--
(1) identifying the early warning signs and reducing stigma
of mental health and substance use disorder, suicidality, and
suicide in children, adolescents, and young adults;
(2) improving the general understanding of mental health
and substance use disorder, suicidality, suicide, and
behavioral health needs with respect to children, adolescents,
and young adults, including how to provide positive childhood
experiences that impact behavioral health outcomes and well-
being;
(3) connecting children, adolescents, and young adults with
community-based behavioral health providers and trauma-informed
crisis response services;
(4) teaching help-seeking skills and behaviors;
(5) fostering home environments that encourage behavioral
health discussions;
(6) administering a drug or device approved, cleared, or
authorized under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21
U.S.C. 301 et seq.) for emergency treatment of known or
suspected opioid overdose; and
(7) promoting resiliency in children, adolescents, and
young adults.
(d) Evaluation and Report.--
(1) Evaluation.--The Assistant Secretary shall carry out an
evaluation to measure the efficacy of the best practices under
this section at the conclusion of the first grant cycle funded
by the pilot program. The evaluation shall include, at a
minimum, outcomes information from the pilot program, including
any impact on--
(A) knowledge and attitudes related to behavioral
health with respect to children, adolescents, and young
adults among participating parents, caregivers, and
families;
(B) behavioral health outcomes and well-being
measures among participating children, adolescents, and
young adults; and
(C) help-seeking behaviors, including uptake of
behavioral health treatment and trauma-informed crisis
response services among participating children,
adolescents, and young adults.
(2) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the end of the
first grant cycle, the Assistant Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the
Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives a report on the results of the evaluation
conducted under paragraph (1).
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2028.
SEC. 3. NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE STUDY
ON PEER SUPPORT SERVICES FOR CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS, AND
YOUNG ADULTS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance
Use shall contract with the National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine (referred to in this section as the
``National Academies'') to conduct a study and report on evidence-based
peer support services for children, adolescents, and young adults.
(b) Study.--The study and report pursuant to the contract under
subsection (a) shall address--
(1) the effectiveness of evidence-based peer support
services for children, adolescents, and young adults in the
prevention, early intervention, treatment, and recovery from
mental health and substance use disorder, in comparison to
other behavioral health interventions for that population;
(2) whether current evidence-based peer support services
available for children, adolescents, and young adults meet the
need for such services, and whether such services could help
meet the overall demand for behavioral health care;
(3) the scope of behavioral health provider supervision of
evidence-based peer support services for children, adolescents,
and young adults, and professional development opportunities
for peer support specialists;
(4) the populations, including underserved populations,
with access to evidence-based peer support services for
children, adolescents, and young adults;
(5) challenges associated with implementing or operating
evidence-based peer support services for children, adolescents,
and young adults, including children, adolescents, and young
adults from underserved populations; and
(6) Federal and State efforts to support the implementation
and operation of evidence-based peer support services for
children, adolescents, and young adults.
(c) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment
of this Act, the National Academies shall submit to the Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee
on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report on the
study pursuant to subsection (a).
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