A bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA) on Tuesday would address the nation’s mental health crisis by taking steps to provide more mental health providers and inpatient beds.
The Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Accessibility Act would authorize the Department of Health and Human Services to provide loans and loan guarantees to local organizations with plans to build psychiatric and substance abuse recovery facilities.
“Access to inpatient mental health care is a cornerstone to our effort in delivering treatment before tragedy,” Murphy said. “This bill will work to make that possible, and I am pleased to support Rep. (Derek) Kilmer’s bipartisan approach to improving access to crisis mental health care.”
Across the nation, there’s a shortage of approximately 100,000 inpatient beds for mental health and substance abuse treatment, according to the Treatment Advocacy Center.
The measure, which Murphy introduced with U.S. Reps. Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), also authorizes needed investments in outpatient programs with any revenues generated from the loans.
“Our country is facing a mental health challenge that has hit all our communities,” Kilmer said. “Too many of our neighbors are suffering from behavioral and substance abuse disorders and not getting proper treatment. That has left emergency rooms and jail cells overwhelmed while leaving families hurting.”
The bill would give a jump-start to local proposals to build brand new psychiatric facilities, he added.