§ 290aa–0a — Behavioral Health Crisis Coordinating Office

(a) The Secretary shall establish, within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an office to coordinate work relating to behavioral health crisis care across the operating divisions and agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the Health Resources and Services Administration, and external stakeholders. (b) The office established under subsection (a) shall— (1) convene Federal, State, Tribal, local, and private partners; (2) launch and manage Federal workgroups charged with making recommendations regarding issues related to mental health and substance use disorder crises, including with respect to health care best practices, workforce development, health disparities, data collection, technology, program oversight, public awareness, and engagement; and (3) support technical assistance, data analysis, and evaluation functions in order to assist States, localities, Territories, Indian Tribes, and Tribal organizations in developing crisis care systems and identifying best practices with the objective of expanding the capacity of, and access to, local crisis call centers, mobile crisis care, crisis stabilization, psychiatric emergency services, and rapid post-crisis follow-up care provided by— (A) the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Hotline and Response System; (B) the Veterans Crisis Line; (C) community mental health centers (as defined in section 1395x(ff)(3)(B) of this title); (D) certified community behavioral health clinics, as described in section 223 of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014; and (E) other community mental health and substance use disorder providers. (c) There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.