CHA Statement on House Passage of Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act

For more information, contact Elleni Almandrez
(202) 753-5364

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Children’s Hospital Association (CHA), representing over 220 children’s hospitals, praises the bipartisan passage in the U.S. House of Representatives of policies included in H.R. 7666, Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act. The legislation includes reforms and necessary reauthorizations that are positive first steps toward comprehensively addressing the national emergency in children’s mental health.

Within the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act, we support:

• Improved implementation of Medicaid benefits tailored to children to ensure that they can access a full range of prevention and treatment services, including through telehealth.
• Reauthorization and expansion of the Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program.
• The inclusion of a set aside for prevention and early intervention services in the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant.

Unfortunately, current federal grant programs and guidance to states will not be enough to address the national children’s mental health emergency. Increased Medicaid investments in pediatric mental health services and new HHS programs with dedicated pediatric funding are critical to recruit and develop the behavioral health workforce, expand community-based mental health services and strengthen the mental health infrastructure for children and youth.

We look forward to working with leadership in Congress to ensure children’s mental health needs are addressed.