U.S. Representative Val Demings led an amendment to the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022, comprehensive legislation to support mental health and drug addiction treatment programs. The amendment passed with overwhelming support from both Democrats and Republicans.
Rep. Demings’ amendment means that the legislation will now require data collection and reporting by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and National Institute for Justice on mental health challenges facing American law enforcement officers, as well as their treatment options. Rep. Demings is a former law enforcement officer and the first female Chief of Police of Orlando, Florida, and has pushed law enforcement mental health in Congress.
“Florida is 49th in the nation on access to mental health care, and it’s time to get serious about getting our families, friends, and neighbors the support they need,” said Rep. Demings. “As a social worker and Orlando police officer I worked closely with people who had mental or substance abuse disorders. I personally have loved ones who are working on mental health issues. We have an obligation to support every member of our community and keep them safe. I am proud to support this critical legislation to ensure that our family, friends, and neighbors with mental health and drug additional challenges have the support they need.”
The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022 strengthens and expands more than 30 critical programs that collectively support mental health care and substance use disorder prevention, care, treatment, and recovery support services in communities across the nation:
- As the nation prepares for the launch of the “988” National Suicide Prevention Lifeline dialing code in July 2022, H.R. 7666 provides for key crisis response efforts, such as the establishment of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Behavioral Health Crisis Coordination Office and the development of crisis response best practices.
- It also supports additional adult suicide prevention services, and treatment for those with serious mental illnesses, mental health support for pregnant or postpartum women, and peer support—including virtual platforms. The bill continues investment in the Community Mental Health Services Block Grants for states, territories, and Tribes to provide services for adults and children with serious mental health conditions—requiring that five percent of funding be used for crisis-care services and allowing, for the first time, up to five percent of the funds to be used for early intervention activities.
- The bill also provides support for substance use disorder services, including for Veterans and those experiencing homelessness. It addresses underage drinking, the opioid epidemic and overdose prevention, while also improving the quality of recovery housing. It also extends critical investment in the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grants for states, territories, and Tribes to provide related services for impacted individuals, families, and communities.
The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act includes crucial provisions to meet the challenges of the nation’s opioid epidemic:
- H.R. 7666 expands patient access to life-saving evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorders by eliminating the X-waiver, which imposes arbitrary limits on providers’ ability to prescribe buprenorphine.
- The bill eliminates barriers in access to methadone, another evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorders. These barriers can prevent patients from getting timely access to treatment.
- The legislation enhances training requirements for practitioners who prescribe controlled substances, to reduce stigma and increase their ability to identify and treat substance use disorders.
More than 50 percent of adults in America will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime, according to the CDC. According to Mental Health America, Florida has over a million people with substance abuse disorders and nearly three million adults with mental illness.
“Policing is a dangerous job,” Rep. Demings added. “Our law enforcement officers are at risk of physical and mental trauma every time they put on the uniform. We cannot ask our officers to do this work while failing to cope with the consequences. We must take care of them so they can take care of us. This important initiative will build on my prior legislation, signed into law by President Trump, which will ensure that officers have the mental health support they need.”
Rep. Demings helped lead the bipartisan Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act, which was signed into law by President Trump in 2018. The law is now supporting an active officer mental health program.
