Health Resources and Services Administration
http://newsroom.hrsa.gov
Thursday, November 06, 2014
301-443-3376
This year, more than 400 Health Centers nationwide have received HHS funding to add or expand access to mental health and substance abuse services
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Mary K. Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N., today announced $51.3 million in Affordable Care Act funding to support 210 health centers in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico to establish or expand behavioral health services for nearly 440,000 people nationwide. Earlier this year, HHS awarded $54.5 million in Affordable Care Act funding for 223 other health centers to expand behavioral health services. Health centers use these new funds to hire new mental health professionals, add mental health and substance use disorder health services, and employ integrated models of primary care.
“Today’s awards will give health centers the ability to improve access and care for individuals in need of mental health services,” said HRSA Administrator Wakefield. “These funds support the Administration’s focus on improving recognition of and responding to the mental health needs of people nationwide.”
The Affordable Care Act expands mental health and substance use disorder benefits and federal parity protections for approximately 60 million Americans. HHS is also supporting health centers' efforts to integrate behavioral health services into primary care.
Today, nearly 1,300 health centers operate more than 9,200 service delivery sites that provide care to over 21.7 million patients in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Pacific Basin. In 2013, health centers saw over 1.2 million behavioral health patients.
Learn more:
- List of awardees
- July 2014 behavioral health awards
- The Affordable Care Act and Community Health Centers (PDF - 254 KB)
- HRSA’s Community Health Center Program
- Find a health center in your area
The Health Resources and Services Administration is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HRSA is the primary Federal agency responsible for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. For more information about HRSA and its programs, visit www.hrsa.gov.
