Lawmakers Introduce Mental Health Bill Focused on Seniors

In Brief

NASW applauded U.S. Sens. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and Chris Coons, D-Del., for introducing the Expanding Seniors Access to Mental Health Services Act (S. 1797), a bipartisan bill that would make mental health services provided by clinical social workers more available to Medicare beneficiaries.

“NASW thanks Sens. John Barrasso and Chris Coons for introducing the bipartisan Expanding Seniors Access to Mental Health Services Act. Passage of this legislation is critical to the health and well-being of Medicare beneficiaries, for our nation, and the social work profession,” said NASW CEO Anthony Estreet, PhD, MBA, LCSW-C. “It will help Medicare beneficiaries get access to desperately needed, high-quality mental health services that clinical social workers are authorized to perform under state law. It will also remove a significant barrier to mental health care provided by independent clinical social workers to older adults and people with disabilities in skilled nursing facilities.”

U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., introduced their version of the bill (H.R. 3808) in the House of Representatives.