NYAPRS Note: The Bazelon Center aptly underscores that the Home and Community Based Services eligible for increased federal funding via the new American Rescue Plan COVID relief bill apply equally to people with mental health disabilities. These new provisions can be used to cover a wide variety of community services including services to help people secure and maintain housing and employment. It is urgent that states take advantage of these new funds to enable people with mental health disabilities transition or be diverted from congregate settings that are incubators of the virus. See American Rescue Plan (Section 9817) at https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr1319/BILLS-117hr1319enr.pdf.