SAMHSA 2015 Budget Includes $15 Million for Mental Health First Aid

For Immediate Release
January 21, 2014                                                                     

Contact: Robert Schwartz 202-207-3665, rschwartz@prismpublicaffairs.com

Meena Dayak 301-602-8474
MeenaD@thenationalcouncil.org

SAMHSA 2015 Budget Includes $15 Million for Mental Health First Aid
National Council Applauds New Funding to Provide Critical Training to First Responders and Other Professionals

Washington, DC � The fiscal year 2015 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) budget will include $15 million in new funding for a nationwide demonstration program designed to provide Mental Health First Aid training to police officers, first responders, primary care professionals, social workers, and college and university staff, among others, according to the National Council for Behavioral Health (National Council). 

“Mental Health First Aid is a low-cost but high-impact way to make a real difference,” said Linda Rosenberg, President and CEO of the National Council. Mental Health First Aid is an eight-hour training where people learn how to recognize when someone may be experiencing a mental illness, how to provide initial help, and where to refer them for care and support.

“The new funding from SAMHSA will ensure that thousands of professionals will have access to this simple but highly effective training,” Rosenberg added.

In his report, “Now Is The Time: The President’s Plan to Protect our Children and our Communities by Reducing Gun Violence,” President Obama called for Mental Health First Aid training to help teachers and staff recognize the signs of mental health concerns in young people and refer them to appropriate care.

The SAMHSA funding is part of a larger effort to increase funding for mental health services. The Obama Administration announced in December 2013 that it would make $100 million in mental health funding available to expand service delivery in community health settings and rural areas.  In addition, Congress is considering the bi-partisan Excellence in Mental Health Act, which would improve the quality of mental health care and expand access to mental health treatment for hundreds of thousands of people served by community mental health centers.

For more information on Mental Health First Aid, visit www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org.

To arrange media interviews with Linda Rosenberg of the National Council for Behavioral Health, please contact: Robert Schwartz at rschwartz@prismpublicaffairs.com or via phone at 202-207-3665.

The National Council for Behavioral Health is the unifying voice of America’s community mental health and addictions treatment organizations. Together with our 2,100 member organizations, we serve our nation’s most vulnerable citizens — the more than eight million adults and children living with mental illnesses and addiction disorders. We are committed to ensuring all Americans have access to comprehensive, high-quality care that affords every opportunity for recovery and full participation in community life. The National Council pioneered Mental Health First Aid in the U.S. and has trained more than 150,000 individuals to connect youth and adults in need to mental health and addictions care in their communities. Learn more at www.TheNationalCouncil.org.