Legislation Grid: Mental health
View the attachment for the Grid Template
Many nurses encounter daily experiences that motivate them to take on an advocacy role in hopes of impacting policies, laws, or regulations that impact healthcare issues of interest. Of course, doing so means entering the less familiar world of policy and politics. While many nurses do not initially feel prepared to operate in this space effectively, the reward is the opportunity to shape and influence future health policy.
To Prepare:
Select a bill that has been proposed (not one that has been enacted) using the congressional websites provided in the Learning Resources.
Part 1: Legislation Grid(Template attached)
Based on the health-related bill (proposed, not enacted) you selected, complete the Legislation Grid Template. Be sure to address the following:
- Determine the legislative intent of the bill you have reviewed.
- Identify the proponents/opponents of the bill.
- Identify the target populations addressed by the bill.
- Where in the process is the bill currently? Is it in hearings or committees?
Part 2: Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement
Based on the health-related bill you selected, develop a 1-page Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement that addresses the following:
- Advocate a position for the bill you selected and write testimony in support of your position.
- Explain how the social determinants of income, age, education, or gender affect this legislation.
- Describe how you would address the opponent to your position. Be specific and provide examples
Solution
Part 1 of the Module 2 Assessment Legislation Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement
| Health-related Bill Name | Supporting Children’s Mental Health Care Access Act of 2022 |
| Bill Number | H.R.7076 |
| Description |
H.R.7076 is sponsored by Kim Schrier. Schrier is a member of the Democratic Party and a House Representative for Washington, District 8, 116-117 (2019-Present). The bill makes two major propositions; 1. It reauthorizes the provision of grants to non-profit organizations for use in the integration of behavioral health in pediatric primary care (Congress.gov., n.d.). 2. It reauthorizes the provision of grants to non-profits and human services agencies to support the development and maintenance of infant and early childhood mental health programs including treatment, intervention, and health promotion (Congress.gov., n.d.). |
| Federal or State? | H.R.7076 is a federal bill. When passed into law, it will be implemented across all states and localities in the United States. |
| Legislative Intent | Legislators, at every stage of the legislative process, are charged with the responsibility of reviewing the bill and debating committee notes related to it. The legislator’s intent or goal in the current bill is to increase mental health access to infants and children. |
| Proponents/ Opponents | Proponents: Proponents of the bill are those who support the idea that grants should be provided for developing and maintaining mental health programs in infants and children. Proponents of the bill have not been mentioned. However, based on the bill’s intention, pediatricians, mental/behavioral health practitioners, schools, and emergency departments can be great proponents of the bill. |
| Opponents: Opponents of the bill are those who object the idea that grants should be provided for developing and maintaining mental health programs in infants and children. Opponents of the bill at this stage have not been mentioned. However, public grant providers such as the federal and state governments can oppose the bill. | |
| Target Population |
The bill primarily targets infants and children (Congress.gov., n.d.). |
| Status of the bill (Is it in hearings or committees?) |
H.R.7076 is at the committees’ stage. It was introduced on 15th March 2022. The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health is associated with the bill (Congress.gov., n.d.). |
| General Notes/Comments | H.R.7076 should be passed into law because it will increase metal health access to infants and children. |
Part 2: Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement
Lack of healthcare access is associated with poor quality of life among populations. H.R.7076 should be passed into law because it will increase healthcare access to infants and children in need of mental health services in the United States. Today’s primary healthcare facilities are recording increasing cases of mental health issues in children. These facilities are constantly working in collaboration with mental health specialists, pediatricians, for-profit organizations, non-profit facilities, and human services agencies to treat, promote health, and improve the quality of life for infants and children with mental health issues and those diagnosed with psychological conditions (Power et al., 2022).
However, one major challenge faced by these agencies is limited funds to implement pediatric mental health services (Oostermeijer et al., 2021). Since H.R.7076 advocates for the provision of grants to support non-profit organizations and human services agencies to implement pediatric mental health services, it will improve the well-being and quality of life for infants and children who are in need of mental health services when it becomes law.
Legislators, when performing their advocacy role, usually propose bills that are aimed at addressing social determinants of health. The specific social determinant of health associated with H.R.7076 is age. The legislative intent or goal of the bill is to increase mental health access to infants and children (Congress.gov., n.d.). Infants and children are highly vulnerable to numerous health issues and would benefit greatly when grants are availed to non-profits and human services agencies to support the implementation of infant and early childhood mental health services (Schor, 2021).
Opponents of the bill should understand that the needs of infants and children with mental illnesses are frequently unmet due to the lack of mental health services appropriate for this age group. For example, schools and emergency departments in the United States lack facilities to care for infants and children will mental health issues. These are some of the needs that H.R.7076 will address when it becomes law.
References
Congress.gov. (n.d.). H.R.7076 – Supporting Children’s Mental Health Care Access Act of 2022. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7076?r=21&s=3
Oostermeijer, S., Bassilios, B., Nicholas, A., Williamson, M., Machlin, A., Harris, M., Burgess, P., & Pirkis, J. (2021). Implementing child and youth mental health services: early lessons from the Australian Primary Health Network Lead Site Project. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 15(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-021-00440-8
Power, E., Taaffe, S., McLoughlin, P., & Sharif, F. (2022). Primary and secondary care approach to paediatric mental health conditions: a novel model of care. BMJ Paediatrics Open, 6(1), e001285. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2021-001285
Schor E. L. (2021). Developing a structure of essential services for a child and adolescent mental health system. The Milbank Quarterly, 99(1), 62–90. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0009.12490