The U.S. House of Representatives has passed new legislation that would provide more aid and resources for care coordination efforts between community mental health and addiction treatment centers and local law enforcement agencies.
The move comes about a month after the Senate passed the bill, called the Crisis Stabilization and Community Reentry Act. Now, the bipartisan legislation is headed to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law.
Once signed into law, the bill will set aside $10 million in grants for collaborative programs between criminal justice agencies and community mental health centers.
Chuck Ingoglia, president and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health, lauded the move as a win for the behavioral health industry as a whole — and for those struggling with addiction.
“Today, we move one step closer to improving how justice-involved people receive mental health and substance use disorder treatment,” Ingoglia said in a press release. “People with mental health conditions too often experience inadequate treatment while incarcerated, then face further difficulty accessing community-based care post-release. This bill authorizes direct support to community mental health and addiction treatment centers, as well as local jails, so they can better collaborate to fill the gaps and improve access to treatment.”
