It may seem as if all the news I‟ve given you lately is bad, or close to it. Between the fiscal challenges that will impact sub- stance abuse treatment and prevention programs, the partisan politics that exac- erbate the aforementioned problem, and the complex transition into a new age of health care, there is much in Washington that can cause all of us to wonder if we‟re going to make any headway, in the present or near future.
Yet believe me when I tell you that our field does have a few items to look for- ward to. Several members of the Cali- fornia congressional delegation have remained dedicated to our issues, and there is legislation being introduced that reflects this commitment to behavioral health.
Rep. Grace Napolitano, who represents California‟s 38th district (La Puente, Haci- enda Heights, Montebello) has intro- duced H.R. 751, the “Mental Health in Schools Act.” (Although the title of the bill refers only to mental health, it does encompass addiction counseling as well.) As CAADAC‟s representative in Washing- ton, I have met with Ms. Napolitano‟s legislative staff to discuss the bill and how CAADAC can help advance it. It is the purpose of this Act to revise, increase funding for, and expand the scope of the Safe Schools-Healthy Students program in order to provide access to more com- prehensive school-based mental health services and supports; provide for comprehensive staff development for school and community service personnel working in the school; and provide for compre- hensive training for children with behav- ioral health disorders, for parents, sib- lings, and other family members of such children, and for concerned members of the community.
Under the legislation, the Secretary for Health and Human Services in collabora- tion with the Secretary of Education and in consultation with the Attorney General, shall, directly or through grants, con- tracts, or cooperative agreements awarded to public entities and local education agencies, assist local communi- ties and schools in applying a public health approach to mental health ser- vices both in schools and in the commu- nity. Mental health program funded un- der this section shall assist children in dealing with violence.
The law will also provide financial sup- port to enable local communities to im- plement a comprehensive culturally and linguistically appropriate, and age- appropriate, school mental health pro- gram that incorporates positive behav- ioral interventions and supports to foster the health and development of children. It would also provide assistance to local communities in the development of poli- cies to address child and adolescent mental health issues and violence when and if it occurs. The goal is to facilitate community partnerships among families, students, law enforcement agencies, edu- cation systems, mental health and sub- stance use disorder service systems, fam- ily-based mental health service systems, welfare agencies, health care service systems, and other community-based systems. Also, it would establish mecha- nisms for children and adolescents to report incidents of violence or plans by other children or adolescents to commit violence.
If the legislation passes, grants will be es- tablished so that school districts and commu- nities will be able to apply for funds in or- der to carry out the aforementioned ser- vices. Those who apply for grants, accord- ing to the legislation, must seek to promote the social, emotional, and behavioral health of all students in an environment that is con- ducive to learning, while striving for the re- duction in the likelihood of at risk students from developing social, emotional, behav- ioral health problems, or substance use dis- orders. The goal is the early identification of these dangers, the provision of early in- tervention services, and to establish the treatment or referral for treatment of stu- dents with these conditions.
In April, Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard of Cali- fornia‟s 34th Congressional district (Metropolitan Los Angeles, including Boyle Heights, Westlake, and Bell Gardens) intro- duced the Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP) Underage Drinking Reauthorization Act. The legislation seeks to continue the programs of the original STOP Act, which became law in 2006. It seeks to reduce and prevent under- age drinking in the United States, and con- tinue initiatives begun with the original STOP Act.
These efforts include an interagency coordi- nating committee to address underage drinking; a multimedia campaign to educate parents and communities about the dangers of underage drinking; federal research on underage drinking prevention; and commu- nity grants to fight underage drinking. The new STOP Act reauthorization would further build upon these public health efforts by authorizing an Institute of Medicine re- port on the influence that drinking alcohol has on the development of the adolescent brain. The new bill would also establish grants to train pediatric health care provid- ers in how best to screen and treat children and teens that have had alcohol exposures.
Both these pieces of legislation face long odds, for two reasons: first, any bill that calls for any form of federal spending will face a challenge by conservatives, especially in the House of Representatives. Politics concerning fiscal policy threaten to trump any efforts to pass legislation, regardless of its benefit. Second, the calendar is the enemy. Legislation this specific, on an issue that is not con- sidered “big ticket,” only stands a chance if it can be attached to a larger piece of legislation. Because of the focus on fiscal policy, even large pieces of legislation have trouble getting on the calendar for a vote these days. We will continue to work with staff from the offices of Napolitano and Roybal-Allard to try and make this happen, and we‟ll be keeping you posted every step of the way.
Respectfully, Andrew
