Chicago, June 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
KEVIN WILLIAMS, DBSA
312.342.7693
CHICAGO (June 28, 2022) – The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) today applauded passage of H.R. 7666, also known as the Restoring Hope For Mental Health Well-Being Act of 2022. The bill, passed with overwhelming bipartisan support by a vote of 402-20, contains funding for peer support services including virtual peer support group meetings.
Under the legislation, new funding is provided for the development, expansion, and enhancement of national, statewide, or community-focused mental health programs, including virtual peer-support services and infrastructure. Funding will be used to carry out workforce development, recruitment, and retention activities to train, recruit, and retain peer-support providers; build connections between mental health treatment programs and peer-support networks, including virtual peer-support networks. Virtual mental health support services will have the opportunity to expand and improve delivery of their services by adopting software and physical hardware that enable them to operate more virtual peer-support services and establish virtual waiting rooms and virtual video platforms.
“The Restoring Hope for Mental Health Well-Being Act of 2022 will improve the lives of folks by providing them with new, highly-accessible resources,” said U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, (R-St. Joseph). The pandemic lockdowns demonstrated that access to mental health support and treatment is needed and can be delivered through virtual modalities. Clearly, mental health is a bipartisan issue, and I am certain that this bill will pass in the Senate with bipartisan support like it did in the House.”
“Nevada, like much of this country, is facing a mental health crisis that demands our immediate attention,” said Rep. Susie Lee. “We must be innovative in providing access to effective counseling options, which is exactly what my Virtual Peer Support Act does. I’m so proud that this legislation passed with support from both Democrats and Republicans, and I’ll continue to fight to see it signed into law so we can get everyone the mental health care they need.”
"DBSA is very grateful for the leadership of Representatives Fred Upton (R-MI) and Susie Lee (D-NV) in securing inclusion of the peer support language and funding authority in H.R. 7666,” said CEO Michael Pollock. “During the Covid-19 pandemic, DBSA successfully transitioned to offer more virtual online support groups to meet the growing demands of our community. The overwhelming vote for this legislation reflects an understanding by the House of Representatives of the importance and impact virtual mental health services provide to people in need and their families and caregivers.”
The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) is a leading national organization focusing on mood disorders, including depression and bipolar disorder, which affect over 21 million Americans, account for over 50% of the nation’s suicides every year, and cost $23 billion in lost workdays and other workplace losses. Through its extensive online and print resources and nearly 400 support groups, DBSA reaches millions of people each year with in-person and online peer support.
