§280g–18 Maternal Mental Health Hotline

Summary

The Secretary must run and fund a national maternal mental health hotline that gives emotional support, information, short-term help, and referrals for mental health and substance use problems to pregnant and postpartum women and to their families or household members. The hotline must be available 24/7 in real time, offer both voice and text help, and be staffed by certified peer specialists, licensed health care professionals, or licensed mental health professionals. Staff must be trained on maternal mental health and substance use disorder prevention, detection, and brief intervention, and on providing culturally and linguistically appropriate support. The service must meet the needs of underserved people, those with disabilities, and family or household members. The Secretary must also set up real-time connections with the Domestic Violence Hotline, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and the Veterans Crisis Line when needed, run a public awareness campaign, and consult with federal agencies (including SAMHSA and the VA) and with State, local, and Tribal public health officials who serve low-income pregnant and postpartum people. The Secretary must send Congress an annual report with an evaluation, a referral directory, and other relevant information. Up to $10,000,000 is authorized each year for fiscal years 2023–2027.