Bill · S. 5365· Senate(119-S-5365)
Community Mental Wellness Worker Training Act
- Introduced
- 8/7/2026
- Last activity
- 8/7/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Cory Booker
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Community Mental Wellness Worker Training Act authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants for training community mental wellness workers. These grants help entities implement programs that include training, certification, and supervision for workers. Training focuses on screening for mental health and substance use conditions, as well as delivering evidence-informed counseling and interventions. The Secretary can also provide technical assistance to help entities integrate these workers into their workflows. Priority for these grants is given to areas with high poverty, unemployment, or substance use rates, as well as medically underserved communities. The bill authorizes $25,000,000 for each fiscal year from 2027 through 2031.
Yes· 3 of 13
Does this make mental health care easier to get?+8
The bill funds training for community workers to provide screening and counseling for mental health and substance use disorders.
Does this do more about addiction and overdose deaths?+6
The bill addresses substance use disorders through the training of community mental wellness workers.
Does this make health care easier to get in general?+5
By training community workers, the bill expands access to care in medically underserved and high-need areas.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Enhanced Mental Health Support: The bill allows for the training of workers to provide evidence-informed, culturally and linguistically competent counseling and interventions for those at risk for mental and substance use disorders (Section 2(b)(1)(B)).
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Targeted Aid for High-Need Areas: The Secretary will give priority to entities in areas with high rates of poverty, unemployment, or substance use, as well as those serving communities with high numbers of Medicare and Medicaid dual-eligible individuals (Section 2(d)).
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Improved Accessibility through Digital Tools: Grants can cover the costs of digital platforms used to provide screening, training, and the delivery of evidence-based treatments (Section 2(b)(2)(A)).
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Cultural Competency: The training focuses on services that are responsive to various cultural differences, including race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic level (Section 2(g)(2)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Legal Liabilities: The bill includes provisions regarding malpractice and negligence suits that apply to covered entities, including officers, governing board members, employees, or contractors participating in the program (Section 2(e)(1)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Healthcare
- Improves Mental Health Access+8Improves Opioid Crisis Response+6Improves Healthcare Access+5Increases Medicaid Funding+2Increases Medicare Funding+2
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Low Income Households+5Good For Native Americans+3Good For Seniors+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Racial Equity+3Improves Poverty Reduction+2
- Economy And Finance
- Increases Job Creation+3
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+1Increases Federal Power+1
- 8/7/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Introduced in Senate
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.