WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), co-author of the bipartisan Mental Health Reform Act signed into law in 2016, released a statement on Thursday on the FY18 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which includes federal funding for mental health and addiction programs in Murphy’s Mental Health Reform Act.

As a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committees, Murphy has worked to fully fund the improvements passed as part of his Mental Health Reform Act. Of the federal funding allocated for mental health programs, $25 million will be used to fund four new mental health programs – Pediatric Mental Health Access teams, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, Assertive Community Treatment for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness, and Screening and Treatment for Maternal Depression – authorized by Murphy’s Mental Health Reform Act. These new federal programs are either based on successful programs in Connecticut or developed because of feedback that Murphy received at roundtables and listening sessions across Connecticut.

“With this bill, Congress is finally providing the funding for the programs and initiatives we included in the Mental Health Reform Act. This is a huge deal, and it will save lives,” said Murphy. “Everyone has a family member, friend or neighbor whose life has been turned upside down by mental illness or addiction. These issues affect us all in some way. After more than a dozen listening sessions across Connecticut, I wrote the bipartisan Mental Health Reform Act to make sure people could find and afford the help that they or their loves ones need.”

Murphy successfully pushed for mental health programs to be funded in the FY18 Omnibus Appropriations bill. Highlights include:

· $723 million for the Community Mental Health Block Grant – This funding goes to state agencies, such as the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, to support community mental health services.

· $10 million for Pediatric Mental Health Access teams – This new funding will support pediatric mental health care telehealth access programs, such as ACCESS Mental Health in Connecticut, which provides free, timely consultative services for pediatricians and family providers seeking assistance in providing behavioral health care to children and adolescents. 

· $5 million for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health – This new funding will support intensive early intervention for infants and young children who are at risk of developing or are showing signs of mental illness.

· $5 million for Assertive Community Treatment for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness – This new funding will assist states and local governments in establishing Assertive community Treatment programs (ACT). ACT is a team-based treatment model that provides multidisciplinary, flexible treatment and support to people with mental illness 24/7.

· $5 million for Screening and Treatment for Maternal Depression – This funding will help states establish or improve programs to train professionals to screen, assess, and treat for maternal depression in women who are pregnant or who have given birth within the preceding 12 months.

· $50 million for integration funding – The funding will help states promote integration between primary and behavioral health care for individuals with mental illness along with co-occurring physical health conditions.

· $75 million for Behavioral Health Workforce and Training – This funding will expand the mental health and substance abuse workforce, including master's level social workers, psychologists, counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, occupational therapists, psychology doctoral interns, and behavioral health paraprofessionals.

· Nearly $37 million for Mental and Behavioral Health Education Training – This funding will be used to recruit and train professionals and faculty in the fields of social work, psychology, psychiatry, marriage and family therapy, substance abuse prevention and treatment, and other areas of mental and behavioral health. 

· $7.2 million for National Suicide Prevention Lifeline program – This funding supports a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

· $1.86 billion for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant – This funding goes to state agencies to plan, implement, and evaluate activities that prevent and treat substance abuse and promote public health.

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