A new bill would enhance LGBTQ+ youth mental health services

Democratic U.S. Sens. Laphonza Butler and Tina Smith Thursday introduced the Pride in Mental Health Act, which would strengthen mental health and crisis intervention resources for at-risk LGBTQ+ youth.

“Accessing mental health care and support has become increasingly difficult in nearly every state in the country,” Butler, the first Black LGBTQ+ senator, said in a press release. “Barriers get even more difficult if you are a young person who lacks a supportive community or is fearful of being outed, harassed, or threatened. I am introducing the Pride in Mental Health Act to help equip LGBTQ+ youth with the resources to get the affirming and often life-saving care they need.”

“Mental health care is health care. And for some LGBTQ+ youth, receiving access to the mental health care they need can mean the difference between living in safety and dignity, and suffering alone through discrimination, bullying, and even violence,” added Smith. “The data shows what many parents and educators see every day — an epidemic of students in classrooms dealing with anxiety, depression and other serious mental health conditions, with nowhere to turn. Meeting LGBTQ+ students where they already are — in school — helps us break down the stigma they might face and get kids the health care they need.”

They noted that LGBTQ+ youth have higher races of mental health problems and suicide attempts than their straight and cisgender peers, while many have not been able to obtain the care they need, and hospitals and clinics are often ill-equipped to serve them.

The Pride in Mental Health Act would award grants to enable institutions to assess and improve mental health and substance use outcomes for LGBTQ+ youth; require eligible entities to provide cultural competency training for caregivers, collect data on LGBTQ+ youth’s behavioral health, issue guidelines on preventing anti-LGBTQ+ bullying in schools, and integrate behavioral health services for LGBTQ+ youth in school systems; direct the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to review and update resources listed on their website that pertain to LGBTQ+ communities; and commission a report on the mental health outcomes and care of LGBTQ+ youth in foster care and other federal social services programs. Funds allocted under the act could not be used for conversion therapy.

Several other senators have signed on to the act, while in the House of Representatives, the effort to pass it is led by Sharice Davids, Eric Sorensen, and Ritchie Torres, all Democrats and members of the LGBTQ+ community, along with 163 other House members.

While the press release does not mention this, the bill’s introduction comes a day after the report that Oklahoma transgender teen Nex Benedict’s death was a suicide. Benedict died last month, the day after being in a fight with three other students in a high school restroom. Benedict had endured extensive bullying by his schoolmates.

The act is endorsed by numerous organizations: Human Rights Campaign, GLSEN, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Education Association, National Center for Transgender Equality, Seattle Indian Health Board, PFLAG National, the Trevor Project, American Psychological Association, Whitman-Walker Institute, InterACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth, National Alliance on Mental Illness, American Federation of Teachers, Mental Health America, and Center for Law and Social Policy.