Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act

Grant Priority for Minority Communities: The Secretary may give special consideration to entities serving a high proportion of racial and ethnic minority groups when awarding grants (Section 2).

Improved Research on Mental Health Gaps: The National Academies or another entity will conduct a study to identify research gaps and assess the impact of factors like community violence and structural bias on mental health outcomes in minority groups (Section 3).

Enhanced Professional Training: The bill allows for the development of best practices and core competencies to train students in fields such as social work, psychology, and psychiatry to better address mental health disparities (Section s 4).

Targeted Outreach and Education: The Secretary will implement an outreach strategy designed to meet diverse cultural and language needs, increase awareness of symptoms, and reduce stigma regarding mental health and substance use (Section 5).

Increased Research Funding: The bill authorizes additional funding for the National Institutes of Health to support clinical research on racial or ethnic disparities and to carry out a strategic framework for addressing youth mental health disparities (Section 6).

Increased Support for Minority Health Institutes: Significant additional funds are authorized for the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (Section 7).