U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) on July 26 introduced bipartisan legislation that would authorize an education loan repayment program for mental health professionals to relieve workforce shortages in areas around the nation where more than 105 million Americans have limited access to mental health care.
The Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2018, H.R. 6597, would authorize loan repayments for those mental health professionals who commit to working for a set amount of time in areas of the United States where there is a critical shortage of accessible care, according to a summary provided by Rep. Katko’s office.
“This bipartisan legislation will incentivize students and professionals pursuing careers in mental healthcare to work in areas of our country desperately in need of more options for care,” said Rep. Katko, who co-chairs the bipartisan Mental Health Caucus with U.S. Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA), the original cosponsor of H.R. 6597.
“It will go a long way towards addressing the current critical shortage in the workforce and ensure more people nationwide struggling with mental illness have access to the care they need,” the congressman said.
Rep. Napolitano said H.R. 6597 would give graduating mental health specialists and clinicians the prospect of having their educational loans forgiven when they choose to provide crucial community services, “affording them the same opportunities as those in other medical fields.”
“It is time we had robust investment in mental health in America, and it starts with ensuring we have a reliable workforce to be able to deliver life-saving services to all in need,” she said.
Arthur Evans Jr., the American Psychological Association’s chief executive officer, said the “critically needed legislation” would help expand access to mental health services for 105.7 million Americans.
“With the supply of psychologists projected to be insufficient to meet the growing demand for mental health services, additional federal support for psychology workforce programs is needed to close this critical gap,” Evans said. “As psychologists graduate with increasing levels of student debt, this legislation will reduce barriers to treatment for those in need and reduce obstacles for psychologists and other mental health professionals seeking to work in high-need communities.”
Missy Stolfi, area director for the Western and Central New York Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, applauded the lawmakers for their work on a bill she said was important to their constituents and all Americans. “Our nation faces a shortage of health care clinicians, especially those who provide services to people with mental health needs. This proposed legislation will address this shortage in a unique and innovative way,” she said.
John Madigan Jr., senior vice president and chief public policy officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, called the lawmakers “true champions of suicide prevention and access to mental health services.”
“One of the best ways to prevent suicide is to make mental health services accessible to all who need them wherever they live or work,” Madigan said. “An expanded mental health treatment workforce will go a long way in dealing effectively with the current suicide crisis in our country.”
H.R. 6597 also has garnered support from the American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Dr. Thomas Schwartz, senior associate dean of education and interim chairman at SUNY Upstate Medical University.
H.R. 6597 has been referred for consideration to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.