Assigment .Apa seven . All instructions attached.

Legislation Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement

Walden University

Kenia Meneau

Dr. Sandy Forrest

Policy & Advocacy for Pop Hlth

June 19, 2024

Legislation Grid Template

Use this document to complete Part 1 of the Module 2 Assessment Legislation Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement

Health-related Bill Name	Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act
Bill Number	S.1773
Description	This bill demands that SAMHSA take on a variety of tasks concerning mental and behavioral health within the AANHPI communities. These tasks include creating outreach and education strategies to raise awareness about mental health and combat stigma, as well as doing studies on mental health and substance use disorders among AANHPI youth and workforce model (Congress.gov, 2023).
Federal or State?	Federal
Legislative Intent	To improve mental health and reduce stigma associated with mental health conditions and substance abuse among AANHPI populations by implementing culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach and education strategies, and increasing representation and research in the behavioral and mental health workforce.
Proponents/ Opponents	Proponents: Senator Mazie K. Hirono [D-HI], Senator Catherine Cortez Masto [D-NV], Senator Cory Booker [D-NJ], advocacy and behavioral health organizations serving AANHPI communities.
	Opponents: There are no specific opponents listed, but potential opposition could come from individuals or groups who believe in limiting federal involvement in healthcare or those who may not see the specific targeting of AANHPI populations as necessary (Congress.gov, 2023).
Target Population	AANHPI populations, including youth and those facing mental health and substance use disorders.
Status of the bill (Is it in hearings or committees?)	The bill has been examine twice and addressed to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Work, and Pensions as of May 31, 2023.
General Notes/Comments	This bill addresses a critical need for mental health services within the AANHPI communities, emphasizing culturally appropriate solutions and the importance of disaggregated data to understand and tackle the mental health issues more effectively.

Advocacy Statement.

House Energy and Commerce committee, Subcommittee on Health

Support for S.1773 (118th)-Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act.

Honorable Members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. I am writing to express my very strong support for S.1773, the "Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act." This bill is vital in terms of the egregious mental health disparities among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations (Congress.gov, 2023).

The bill would require SAMHSA to develop culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach and education strategies for AANHPI populations, increasing awareness about mental illness and reducing stigma to increase utilization of mental health services among these populations. Social determinants of health, especially income, age, education, and cultural background, significantly contribute to the poor mental health status observed in AANHPI populations. However subgroups of most communities bear a disproportionate burden of economic challenges that act as barriers to receiving quality mental health care. For many others, there are disincentive factors such as cultural stigma and lack of culturally competent care providers that keep patients from getting help.

Therefore, mental health problems are widespread among younger AANHPI persons; in fact, suicide is the number one cause of death for individuals ages 10-24. Addressing these social determinants will help create an environment where it is easy and credible to discuss and appropriately manage mental health issues, consequently reducing the incidence of untreated types of mental illness and their consequence. Here, one should have confidence in stressing cost-effective and culturally sensitive interventions that will bring high returns on investment through reduced long-term healthcare costs of untreated Mental Health. For example, in other contexts, it has been very successful to have mental health programs that are community-driven and demonstrate that culturally competent care improves health outcomes and increases the use of services (Reports, 2023). By shining a light on these benefits and allowing concrete examples from already successful programs, we are able to build a compelling case for necessity and effectiveness that can mitigate the potential opposing views of those concerned about either increased federal involvement or resource allocation. In summary, supporting S.1773 will be one more essential step toward guaranteeing fair mental healthcare for all; especially underserved AANHPI communities.

References

Congress.gov. (2023). S.1773 - Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act. https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/1773/text

Reports, R. (2023). Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act Introduced in House and Senate. Rafu Shimpo. https://rafu.com/2023/06/stop-mental-health-stigma-in-our-communities-act-introduced-in-house-and-senate/

Legislation Grid Template