Peer Assisted Relief Through Networks of Empathetic Resources and Supports Act of 2020 or the PARTNERS Act
This bill directs the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to establish a network of peer support warmlines. Warmlines are telephone or text-based services, typically staffed by individuals who have experienced mental health conditions, that provide early intervention services, referrals, and other resources to those who are seeking mental health support but are not in crisis.
To carry out this program, SAMHSA must award grants or cooperative agreements to establish centers of excellence to operate warmlines through a single, toll-free number in coordination with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. SAMHSA must also ensure appropriate geographic distribution of the centers. As a condition of receiving funds, the centers must, among other requirements, ensure that the individuals operating the warmlines are qualified peer support specialists and that they complete relevant training courses.
In addition, SAMHSA must establish within 30 days a technical assistance center to disseminate, and enforce the use of, best practices for the operation of warmlines and must provide other support to the centers of excellence. SAMHSA must also enter an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study best practices for warmlines.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8016 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8016
To establish a centralized network of peer support warmlines, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 11, 2020
Ms. Mucarsel-Powell (for herself, Mrs. Napolitano, Ms. Judy Chu of
California, Ms. Porter, Mr. Trone, Ms. Sherrill, and Mr. Lowenthal)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a centralized network of peer support warmlines, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Peer Assisted Relief Through
Networks of Empathetic Resources and Supports Act of 2020'' or the
``PARTNERS Act''.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL PEER SUPPORT WARMLINE PROGRAM.
Subpart 3 of part B of title V of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 290bb-31 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 520N. NATIONAL PEER SUPPORT WARMLINE PROGRAM.
``(a) In General.--The Assistant Secretary shall establish and
maintain a centralized network of peer support warmlines to--
``(1) provide accessible resources to individuals seeking
mental health support by--
``(A) establishing and maintaining a single, toll-
free telephone number through which individuals
throughout the United States may access such peer
support warmlines; and
``(B) coordinating the operation of the telephone
number established under subparagraph (A) with the
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline; and
``(2) establish best practices for the operation of peer
support warmlines.
``(b) Centers of Excellence.--
``(1) Establishment.--In carrying out the program under
this section, not later than 6 months after the date of
enactment of this section, the Assistant Secretary shall award
a grant to, or enter into a cooperative agreement with, not
less than 4 and not more than 5 entities.
``(2) Eligible uses.--An entity receiving a grant or
entering into a cooperative agreement under this section
shall--
``(A) for any such entity not operating a peer
support warmline as of the date on which such entity
receives a grant or enters into a cooperative
agreement, establish and operate a new center of
excellence to operate such peer support warmline; or
``(B) for any such entity operating a peer support
warmline that meets the criteria specified in paragraph
(3) as of the date on which such entity receives a
grant or enters into a cooperative agreement, establish
a center of excellence to support and operate such
warmline under the program established under subsection
(a).
``(3) Conditions.--As a condition on the receipt of a grant
under this section, the grant recipient--
``(A) may not use grant funds to remunerate an
individual who operates a peer support warmline for the
grant recipient unless such individual is an employee
of such grant recipient;
``(B) shall ensure that employees operating the
peer support warmline are qualified peer support
specialists and experts in peer support services,
including the provision of such services using
telehealth;
``(C) shall consider hiring employees who speak a
language other than English, including a language
relevant to the region in which such grant recipient is
located, to operate the peer support warmline;
``(D) shall require that employees operating the
peer support warmline complete--
``(i) 2 training courses, consisting of at
least a 10-hour introductory training course
and, within 2 years of employment, a 40-hour
advanced training course, that cover topics
including--
``(I) peer support values and
practices;
``(II) active listening skills;
``(III) structured sharing of
personal or shared experiences; and
``(IV) how to--
``(aa) connect with an
individual using a peer support
warmline with compassion;
``(bb) avoid giving advice
or providing psychotherapy-like
services to an individual using
a peer support warmline;
``(cc) identify when an
individual using a peer support
warmline is experiencing an
event constituting a suicide
emergency and refer such
individual to the National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline;
``(dd) collaborate with
other qualified peer support
specialists when an individual
using a peer support warmline
experiences a mental health or
suicide crisis;
``(ee) refer an individual
using a peer support warmline
to a community-based peer
support organization, other
mental health crisis
organization, or licensed
mental health professional, as
appropriate; and
``(ff) assist an individual
who is seeking other peer
support services or a referral
to mental health services, but
refrain from providing any
healthcare recommendations; and
``(V) any other training course
that the Assistant Secretary determines
is appropriate; and
``(E) shall implement the best practices for
operating peer support warmlines, as identified by the
study required under subsection (d).
``(4) Selection.--In awarding grants under this section,
the Assistant Secretary shall--
``(A) select grant recipients that are located in
different geographic regions of the United States
which, collectively, represent the entire United
States; and
``(B) ensure that each grant recipient is
responsible for maintaining a peer support warmline
that serves the geographic region in which it is
located.
``(5) Timeline for new centers of excellence.--Any entity
described in paragraph (2)(A) shall establish a center of
excellence under the program not later than 6 months after the
date on which the entity receives a grant under subsection (b).
``(c) Technical Assistance Center.--Not later than 30 days after
the date of enactment of this section, the Assistant Secretary shall
establish a technical assistance center to--
``(1) serve as the coordinating body between the centers of
excellence;
``(2) provide technical support to such centers;
``(3) disseminate to such centers the best practices for
operating peer support warmlines, as identified by the study
required under subsection (d); and
``(4) enforce the implementation of such best practices in
each center of excellence.
``(d) Study and Report.--
``(1) In general.--Concurrent with the establishment of the
centers of excellence created under subsection (b), the
Assistant Secretary shall enter into appropriate arrangements
with the National Academies under which the National Academies
agree to conduct a study over a 1-year period to identify the
best practices for operating a peer support warmline.
``(2) Elements.--The study required under paragraph (1)
shall include an assessment of--
``(A) any peer support warmline program that
existed before the date of enactment of this section,
as determined appropriate to include in the study by
the National Academies; and
``(B) each of the centers of excellence established
pursuant to subsection (b).
``(3) Report.--The agreement entered into under paragraph
(1) shall include a requirement that the National Academies
submit to Congress and to the technical assistance center
established under subsection (c) a report identifying the best
practices for operating a peer support warmline.
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $55,000,000 for fiscal year 2021
and $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2024. Of the
funds made available under the preceding sentence, the Assistant
Secretary shall reserve not less than $1,000,000 for each fiscal year
to carry out subsection (c) and not less than $1,500,000 to carry out
subsection (d).
``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Community-based peer support organization.--The term
`community-based peer support organization' means an
organization, private enterprise, or nonprofit organization,
that--
``(A) provides professional mental health peer
support services to a community;
``(B) has been operational for not less than 2
years; and
``(C) has a staff composed of individuals with
lived experiences of mental health challenges and
recovery, including qualified peer support specialists.
``(2) Peer support warmline.--The term `peer support
warmline' means a telephone and chat support service that is
provided by a peer to an individual who is seeking non-emergent
mental health support, but that is not a mental health service
or a substitution for mental health services provided through a
health care professional or in a health care setting.
``(3) Qualified peer support specialist.--The term
`qualified peer support specialist' means an individual who--
``(A) is recovering or has recovered from a mental
health or substance use condition; and
``(B) is certified to provide peer support services
by a certification process that--
``(i) is consistent with the National
Practice Guidelines for Peer Supporters
published by the National Association of Peer
Supporters and the Core Competencies for Peer
Workers in Behavioral Health Settings published
by the Administration on December 7, 2015; and
``(ii) is a process that--
``(I) is a national process that
the Assistant Secretary determines is
appropriate; or
``(II) is established by a State in
which such individual provides peer
support services.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
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