Prevention, Early Intervention, & Youth
Most mental health conditions appear by the age of 25. Given the high levels of anxiety, depression, and suicidality we’ve seen in recent years, it’s clear that children and youth require a specific focus and timely intervention.
Browse the Featured Recommendations
Fund the community schoolyards project
Congress should establish federal funding for the Community Schoolyards project through the National Park Service’s (NPS) Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) to renovate asphalt schoolyards into schoolyard parks by providing grants to school districts, city parks, and water departments to fund renovations with oversight from federal agencies.
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Extend Medicaid coverage to 12 months postpartum
Congress should require states to extend Medicaid coverage for 12 months postpartum.
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Pass the Black Mental Health Momnibus Act
Congress should pass the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act (Momnibus 2.0) package, which includes 13 bills to address alarming disparities in Black maternal health.
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Prohibit use of Title I funds for zero-tolerance policies
Federal Title I education funds should not be used to support policies that foster unhealthy school climates such as zero-tolerance policies and school resource officers. Title 1 education funds should instead be used for school with social-emotional learning (SEL) programs, such as the Responsive Classroom from the Center for Responsive Schools, and executive function training programs like the ACTIVATE program in all schools.[1]
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Extend Medicaid coverage for housing support
Congress should extend Medicaid coverage to cover evidence-based housing support programs and other supportive services.[1] This could include allowing Medicaid to reimburse housing authorities for training and education about housing insecurity,[2] providing incentives in Medicaid funding to coordinate comprehensive support for housing placements,[2], and allowing states to fund transitional housing for individuals experiencing homelessness after leaving an institutional setting.[3]
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Create a common MH/SUD data model
Federal departments and agencies should make mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) data collection and reporting a top priority by finalizing a proposed rule to require states to report on MH/SUD measures in Medicaid, creating a common MH/SUD data model and reporting portal that all recipients of federal MH/SUD funds must use, reestablishing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Data Council, and adding new MH/SUD vital statistics records to the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) that are updated monthly.