A proposed health policy on the congress website is S. 1795- Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act. It is a bill currently in congress sponsored by Senator Robert Mendez. The bill was created to expand programs to address racial and ethnic disparities in mental health. The Department of health and human services (HHS) awards grants to establish interprofessional behavioral health care teams in areas with a high proportion of racial and ethnic minority groups. HHS may award grants to incorporate best practices and competencies to address mental health disparities programs for training social workers, psychologists, and other behavioral health professionals. HHA aims to promote behavioral mental health and reduce the stigma associated with mental health conditions and substance use disorder through outreach to racial and ethnic minority groups. The bill reauthorizes the minority fellowship program to support the education of mental health professionals who provide services to racial and ethnic minorities.

The use of evidence-based arguments states that policies that address these political, economic, social, and physical determinants of health can advance health equity. There is evidence to support the proposed policy that while considering health equity as how a policy can increase or decrease access and opportunity for communities, it can also lead to unintended consequences. When land is being developed, gentrification and displacement of the marginalized population may occur therefore policymakers and planners should think about such implications. (Pollack, Rutkow & McGinty, 2018)

References

Ahmedani B. K. (2011). Mental Health Stigma: Society, Individuals, and the Profession. Journal of social work values and ethics, 8(2), 41–416.

Catallo, C., Spalding, K., & Haghiri-Vijeh, R. (2014). Nursing Professional Organizations: What Are They Doing to Engage Nurses in Health Policy? SAGEOpen. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244014560534

Congress.gov (2021-2022). S. 1795 — 117th Congress: Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act. Retrieved from S.1795 – 117th Congress (2021-2022): Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

Pollack Porter, K. M., Rutkow, L., & McGinty, E. E. (2018). The Importance of Policy Change for Addressing Public Health Problems. Public Health Reports, 133(1_suppl), 9S-14S. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033354918788880