Lawmakers in the gridlocked U.S. Senate announced a framework for legislation meant to address public mass shootings in schools while also building upon the nation’s mental health foundation.
The proposed plan would enact certain gun-reform policies and pave the way for several mental health- and school safety-related efforts, Behavioral Health Business reports.
In terms of mental health, the framework calls for additional funding to school-based mental health resources and a nationwide rollout of the certified community behavioral health centers (CCBHCs) model.
The CCBHC model, established in 2014, requires organizations to provide mental health care, substance use treatment and additional services — including 24-hour crisis care and comprehensive outpatient services — through a Medicaid grant program that helps cover the actual cost of care and care coordination. There is a bill in the Senate to facilitate that rollout. Read more.
