Community Mental Wellness Worker Training Act
Sponsored By: Representative Espaillat
Introduced
Summary
Would create a federal program to train and certify community mental wellness workers. The bill would fund grants and technical assistance so local clinics and community providers can add trained workers who screen for mental health and substance use and deliver basic, culturally competent counseling and safety planning.
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- Families and communities: Would expand local access to screening and short-term counseling in areas with higher poverty, unemployment, substance use, medically underserved communities, and places with high rates of people enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid.
- Trainees and workers: Would fund training, certification, and supervised practice for individuals who provide screening, basic psychosocial and psychotherapeutic interventions, suicide risk reduction, and culturally and linguistically competent services.
- Providers and states: Eligible entities include certified community behavioral health clinics, community mental health centers, tax-exempt hospitals, and other community behavioral health organizations. Grants would include technical assistance and reporting requirements, and at least 20% of annual funds must go to training and technical assistance. Liability and reporting rules for participating entities are specified.
*Would authorize appropriations of $25.0 million per year for FY2026 through FY2030, increasing federal spending by that amount during the period.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Grants to train community wellness workers
If enacted, the government would provide $25 million each year from 2026 to 2030 to train community mental wellness workers. Grants would go to community behavioral health clinics, community mental health centers, some tax‑exempt hospitals, and other community groups. Funds could pay for training, certification, supervision, screening, and counseling, including safety planning and suicide risk reduction, plus needed digital tools. At least 20% of each year’s funds would be set aside for training and technical help. Priority would go to high‑poverty or high‑unemployment areas, medically underserved communities, places with higher substance use, or communities with more people on both Medicare and Medicaid.
Malpractice protections for grant-funded providers
If enacted, certain malpractice protections would apply to grant‑funded entities and their licensed practitioners for acts during the grant period. Each covered entity would have to give HHS a list of officers, board members, employees, and contractors who take part, and keep it updated. The protections would cover physicians and other licensed or certified health workers involved in the program. This would start the first full fiscal year after enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Espaillat
NY • D
Cosponsors
Lawler
NY • R
Sponsored 10/10/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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