This bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create guidance for states on how to expand the mental health and substance use disorder workforce within their Medicaid and CHIP programs. The guidance, which must be issued within 12 months of the bill's passage, will focus on strategies for educating, training, recruiting, and retaining mental health and substance use disorder providers, with particular emphasis on serving rural and underserved areas. The bill directs HHS to include information about how states can use federal waivers and existing Medicaid and CHIP authorities to implement these workforce expansion strategies. This legislation affects states that administer Medicaid and CHIP, as well as healthcare providers and patients seeking mental health and addiction treatment services, especially in underserved regions. No specific funding amount is allocated in the bill; it simply requires HHS to provide strategic guidance to help states address shortages of behavioral health providers.
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