Se Denver News

Washington, D.C. — Representatives Joe Neguse (D-CO), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Senator Angus King (I-ME) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to expand access to critical mental health resources and reform medical licensure, ensuring people living in rural communities will have reliable access to mental health care. The Compacts, Access, and Responsible Expansion (CARE) for Mental Health Professionals Act would incentivize interstate medical health provider networks, allowing providers to practice across multiple states and more readily reach rural communities. 

Before serving in Congress, Congressman Neguse served as the executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). In this role, he led the charge for similar cutting red-tape measures, including promoting state professional compacts. The CARE for Mental Health Professionals Act builds on this work, eliminating bureaucratic obstacles that prevent rural communities from accessing the care they deserve. 

“Amid a nationwide mental health crisis, too many in our rural communities lack access to essential mental health resources,” said Congressman Joe Neguse. “With this bill, we can bolster the mental health care workforce and ensure that vulnerable Americans can seek the lifesaving services they deserve – no matter where they live.” 

Rural communities are disproportionately affected by the country’s mental health crisis. Sixty-five percent of rural counties do not have psychiatrists, and more than 60% of rural Americans live in areas lacking mental health providers, according to the Journal of Clinical and Translational Sciences. In Colorado, the rate of suicide in rural communities is significantly higher than in urban areas, per the Colorado Rural Health Center. The CARE for Mental Health Act would address these provider shortages, allowing the millions of Americans currently living in areas without accessible mental health care services to seek the services they need.

“Through our Federally Qualified Health Center at Stout Street Health Center, we serve over 13,000 low-income adults and children each year with fully integrated healthcare. By reducing barriers to licensure and allowing more behavioral health workers to more easily enter the workforce, this bill will expand access to mental health care and allow us to better serve people experiencing homelessness who often struggle with mental illness,” said Cathy Alderman, Chief Communications and Public Policy Officer for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.  In order to meaningfully address the homelessness crisis, we must ensure that people need better access to healthcare and housing and the CARE Act will improve access to care.” 

“The National Rural Health Association applauds Reps. Neguse (D-CO) and Fitzpatrick (R-PA) for re-introduction of the Care, Access, and Responsible Expansion (CARE) for Mental Health Act. This important legislation reduces barriers to flexible licensure, allowing mental health providers to practice across multiple states and avoid duplicative registration process. It would expand mental health services for the 60 million residents in rural communities. NRHA looked forward to working with Congress to continue expansion of mental health resources for rural America,” read a statement from the National Rural Health Association. 

Find more information on the bill HERE and bill text HERE. 

The CARE for Mental Health Act is supported by the American Counseling Association, National Rural Health Association, Healthy Young Minds, Colorado Children's Campaign, Progress Now Colorado, and Children's Hospital Colorado, Coalition for the Homeless. 

Original source can be found here.