42 USC 247 - Screening and treatment for maternal mental health and substance use disorders

View all text of Part B [§ 243 - § 247d-12]

§ 247b–13a. Screening and treatment for maternal mental health and substance use disorders

(a) Grants

The Secretary shall make grants to States, Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations (as such terms are defined in section 5304 of title 25) to establish, improve, or maintain programs for screening, assessment, and treatment services, including culturally and linguistically appropriate services, as appropriate, for women who are postpartum, pregnant, or have given birth within the preceding 12 months, for maternal mental health and substance use disorders.

(b) ApplicationTo seek a grant under this section, an entity listed in subsection (a) shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. At a minimum, any such application shall include explanations of—

(1) how a program, or programs, will increase the percentage of women screened and treated, as appropriate, for maternal mental health and substance use disorders in 1 or more communities; and

(2) how a program, or programs, if expanded, would increase access to screening and treatment services for maternal mental health and substance use disorders.

(c) PriorityIn awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall, as appropriate, give priority to entities listed in subsection (a) that—

(1) are proposing to create, improve, or enhance screening, prevention, and treatment services for maternal mental health and substance use disorders in primary care settings;

(2) are currently partnered with, or will partner with, one or more community-based organizations to address maternal mental health and substance use disorders;

(3) are located in, or provide services under this section in, an area with disproportionately high rates of maternal mental health or substance use disorders or other related disparities; and

(4) operate in a health professional shortage area designated under section 254e of this title, including maternity care health professional target areas.

(d) Use of fundsThe activities eligible for funding through a grant under subsection (a)—

(1) shall include—

(A) providing appropriate training on maternal mental health and substance use disorder screening, brief intervention, treatment (as applicable for health care providers), and referrals for treatment to health care providers in the primary care setting and, as applicable, relevant health paraprofessionals;

(B) providing information on maternal mental health and substance use disorder screening, brief intervention, treatment (as applicable for health care providers) and referrals for treatment, follow-up support services, and linkages to community-based resources to health care providers in the primary care setting and, as applicable, relevant health paraprofessionals; and

(C) to the extent practicable and appropriate, enabling health care providers (such as obstetrician-gynecologists, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, pediatricians, psychiatrists, mental and other behavioral health care providers, and adult primary care clinicians) to provide or receive real-time psychiatric consultation (in-person or remotely), including through the use of technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building models (as defined in section 254c–20 of this title), to aid in the treatment of pregnant and postpartum women; and

(2) may include—

(A) establishing linkages with and among community-based resources, including mental health resources, primary care resources, and support groups;

(B) utilizing telehealth services, including for rural areas and medically underserved areas (as defined in section 254c–14(a) of this title);

(C) providing assistance to pregnant and postpartum women to receive maternal mental health and substance use disorder treatment, including patient consultation, care coordination, and navigation for such treatment;

(D) coordinating, as appropriate, with maternal and child health programs of State, local, and Tribal governments, including child psychiatric access programs;

(E) conducting public outreach and awareness regarding grants under subsection (a);

(F) creating multistate consortia to carry out the activities required or authorized under this subsection; and

(G) training health care providers in the primary care setting and relevant health paraprofessionals on trauma-informed care, culturally and linguistically appropriate services, and best practices related to training to improve the provision of maternal mental health and substance use disorder care for racial and ethnic minority populations and reduce related disparities in the delivery of such care.

(e) Technical assistance

The Secretary shall provide technical assistance to grantees and entities listed in subsection (a) for carrying out activities pursuant to this section.

(f) Dissemination of best practices

The Secretary, based on evaluation of the activities funded pursuant to this section, shall identify and disseminate evidence-based or evidence-informed practices for screening, assessment, treatment, and referral to treatment services for maternal mental health and substance use disorders, including culturally and linguistically appropriate services, for women during pregnancy and 12 months following pregnancy.

(g) Matching requirement

The Federal share of the cost of the activities for which a grant is made to an entity under subsection (a) shall not exceed 90 percent of the total cost of such activities.

(h) Authorization of appropriations

To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $24,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, § 317L–1, as added Pub. L. 114–255, div. B, title X, § 10005, Dec. 13, 2016, 130 Stat. 1266; amended Pub. L. 117–328, div. FF, title I, § 1111, Dec. 29, 2022, 136 Stat. 5640.)