Advocating for the Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act
This is a companion effort to the BAPPI 3-part advocacy training series conducted in May. It is designed so participants can practice advocacy skills by asking their Senators to support legislation seeking to address disparities in access to mental health services.
The goal of this effort is to ask Senate offices to include the Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act (S.1795) in a legislative package being prepared by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. S.1795 authorizes $805 million in grants and other funding to support research, improve the pipeline of culturally appropriate providers, build outreach programs that reduce stigma, and develop a training program for providers to effectively manage bias and reduce disparities in access to and delivery of mental health care for Black and brown youth and people of color, and enhance mental health equity research. This important legislation includes provisions to address the alarming rates of Black youth suicide and the mental health disparities among diverse children and adolescents.
Resources for Participants
| Slides | PowerPoint slides from the issue briefing conducted for participants on June 27, 2022. |
| Recording of Issue Briefing | Video recording of the presentation and Q&A session from the June 27 issue briefing. |
| S.1795 Fact Sheet | Prepare for your meetings by studying this fact sheet, which can also be shared as a resource with the offices you meet. |
| Talking Points Work Sheet | Prepare for your meetings by organizing and writing out your talking points in advance. |
| Sample Post-meeting Thank You Note | Please personalize this template and send staff you met with a thank you note after your meetings. |
| Coalition Letter of Support for S.1795 | This is a supplemental resource you can draw talking points from or share with the office to show support for this bill across mental health organizations. |
| Health Equity Tip Sheet | This is a supplemental resource to provide background information on health equity assessments. |