,i #aagth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #cihh ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,june #ag1 #bjba,mr4 ,deutch 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,wilson of ,south ,carolina1 ,ms4 ,titus1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 ,ms4 ,jacobs of ,california1 ,mr4 ,sires1 ,mr4 ,castro of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,moulton1 ,ms4 ,bass1 and ,mr4 ,fitzpatrick7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to enhance mental health and psychosocial support within ,united ,states foreign assistance programs4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,mental ,health in ,international ,development and ,humanitarian ,settings ,act or the ,,minds ,act4 #b4 ,findings2 sense of congress 7a7 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,according to the #bjaf ,global ,burden of ,disease ,study1 an estimated #a1jjj1jjj1jjj individuals worldwide have a mental health or substance use disorder4 ,mental disorders are major contributors to the global burden of disease1 and depression is among the primary causes of illness and disability in adolescents4 7#b7 ,an individual's mental health is a complex interaction between genetic1 neuropsychological1 and environmental factors1 and environmental and social factors1 from the early years through childhood and adolescence1 can have long-term impacts on mental health4 7#c7 ,according to a ,lancet ,commission report1 allocations for mental health have never risen above #a percent of health-related global development assistance4 ,estimates indicate that child and adolescent mental health receives just #j4a percent of health-related global development assistance4 7#d7 ,the ,national ,alliance on ,mental ,illness estimates that depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy #a1jjj1jjj1jjj1jjj in lost productivity each year4 ,according to ,lancet1 mental health disorders are projected to cost the global economy #af1jjj1jjj1jjj1jjj between #bjaj and #bjcj1 in part due to the early age of onset4 7#e7 ,according to the ,world ,health ,organization 7,,who71 half of mental health disorders emerge by age #ad1 and #ad percent of children and adolescents worldwide experience mental health conditions1 the majority of whom do not seek care1 receive care1 or have access to care4 7#f7 ,exposure to violence and early childhood adversity1 including trauma1 has been linked to negative1 lasting effects on physical and mental health4 ,early childhood adversity can impact brain development1 nervous and immune system functioning1 the onset of mental health conditions1 and future behaviors4 ,the ,united ,nations asserts that widespread school closures due to ,,covid-#ai1 which have affected roughly #a1ejj1jjj1jjj school-aged children1 have placed many children at higher risk of exposure to traumas1 such as household violence1 abuse1 neglect1 and food insecurity4 7#g7 ,according to the ,united ,nations1 more than #a out of every #e individuals in conflict-affected areas has a mental health disorder4 ,roughly #a1ejj1jjj1jjj1 or #b out of every #c of the world's children under #ah years of age live in countries affected by conflict1 and more than #a out of every #f children live in conflict zones4 ,a greater number of children live in areas affected by armed conflict and war now than at any other point this century4 ,the mental health burden in conflict-affected contexts is twice the global average4 7#h7 ,gender1 age1 disability status1 race and ethnicity1 and other identity characteristics contribute to different risks and needs for mental health and psychosocial support4 ,research has shown that harmful gender norms contribute to higher prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders in women and girls1 while socialization of boys and men contributes to higher prevalence of substance use disorders4 7#i7 ,risks and experiences of gender-based violence1 particularly sexual violence1 are a key driver of mental health and psychosocial support needs for children4 ,girls account for #ih percent of verified incidents of conflict-related sexual violence4 ,according to the ,world ,health ,organization1 #ce percent of women globally face sexual and_/or intimate partner violence in their lifetime and these survivors can1 according to the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention1 experience mental health problems such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder 7,,ptsd7 symptoms1 signifying the urgent need for age and gender-responsive mental health and psychosocial support services4 7#aj7 ,according to the ,world ,health ,organization1 risk factors that increase susceptibility to mental health disorders include poverty and hunger1 chronic health conditions1 trauma or maltreatment1 social exclusion and discrimination1 and exposure to and displacement by war or conflict4 ,these risk factors1 along with demographic risk factors1 manifest at all stages in life4 ,preliminary research already illustrates that the ,,covid-#ai pandemic has increased communities'1 families'1 and individuals' risk factors for multiple types of adversity and compounded preexisting conditions and vulnerabilities4 7#aa7 ,crisis situations put parents and caregivers under mental and psychosocial duress1 which can prevent them from providing the protection1 stability and nurturing care their children need during and after an emergency4 ,the ,lancet ,commission estimates that between #ae and #bc percent of children globally live with a parent with a mental disorder1 and parental ill health can impact the emotional and physical development of children and predispose these children to mental health problems4 ,numerous and compounding stressors and uncertainty caused by ,,covid-#ai have exacerbated distress and further impede caregivers' ability to provide responsive care to their children4 7#ab7 ,investments in the mental health1 resilience1 and well-being of the children in a country to ensure that they continue to thrive into adulthood and contribute to their societies can help break cycles of poverty1 violence1 and trauma and further the country's future potential4 7#ac7 ,investments in protecting and improving mental health in a country across the life course must take into account the need to target vulnerable populations and address social1 environmental1 and other risk factors in conjunction with other sectors and local partners4 7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 ensuring that individuals have the opportunity to thrive and reach their fullest potential is a critical component of sustainable international development1 and the global public good benefits from investment in child and adolescent mental health2 7#b7 mental health is integral and essential to overall health outcomes and other development objectives2 7#c7 mental health is an issue of critical and growing importance for ,united ,states foreign assistance that requires a coordinated strategy to ensure that programming funded by the ,united ,states ,government is evidence-based1 culturally competent1 and trauma-informed2 7#d7 the ,united ,states ,government foreign assistance strategy should include a mental health and psychosocial support component2 7#e7 the redesign of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development 7referred to in this ,act as ,,usaid7 reflects the nexus between humanitarian and development interventions and should be applied to all mental health and psychosocial support efforts of ,united ,states foreign assistance programs2 and 7#f7 ongoing efforts to improve social service workforce development and local capacity building are essential to expanding mental health and psychosocial support activities across all ,united ,states foreign assistance programs4 #c4 ,coordinator for mental health and psychosocial support ,section #ace of the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #baeb;f7 is amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating subsection 7f7 as subsection 7g72 and 7#b7 by inserting after subsection 7e7 the following3 7f7 ,coordinator for mental health and psychosocial support 7#a7 ,appointment ,the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,state1 is authorized to appoint a ,mental ,health and ,psychosocial ,support ,coordinator 7referred to in this section as the ,,mhpss ,coordinator74 7#b7 ,specific duties ,the duties of the ,,mhpss ,coordinator shall include-- 7,a7 establishing and chairing the ,mental ,health and ,psychosocial ,support ,working ,group authorized under section #d of the ,mental ,health in ,international ,development and ,humanitarian ,settings ,act2 7,b7 guiding1 overseeing1 and directing mental health and psychosocial support programming and integration across ,united ,states foreign assistance programming2 7,c7 serving as the main point of contact on mental health and psychosocial support in the ,bureau for ,global ,health1 ,bureau for ,humanitarian ,assistance1 regional bureaus1 the ,office of ,education1 the ,inclusive ,development ,hub in the ,bureau of ,development1 ,democracy1 and ,innovation1 the ,president's ,emergency ,plan for ,,aids ,relief1 and other interagency or presidential initiatives2 7,d7 promoting best practices1 coordination and reporting in mental health and psychosocial support programming across both development and humanitarian foreign assistance programs2 7,e7 providing direction1 guidance1 and oversight on the integration of mental health and psychosocial support in both development and humanitarian foreign assistance programs2 and 7,f7 participating in the ,advancing ,protection and ,care for ,children in ,adversity ,interagency ,working ,group4 7#c7 ,focus populations ,along with a general focus on mental health and psychosocial support1 the ,,mhpss ,coordinator should pay special attention to mental health and psychosocial support in the context of family and children1 including-- 7,a7 meeting the needs of adult caretakers and children1 including families and adults who are long-term caretakers2 7,b7 children and others who are separated from a family unit2 and 7,c7 other specific populations in need of mental health and psychosocial support1 such as crisis affected communities1 displaced populations1 gender-based violence survivors1 and individuals and households coping with the consequences of diseases1 such as ,ebola1 ,,hiv_/,,aids1 and ,,covid-#ai4 4 #d4 ,mental ,health and ,psychosocial ,support ,working ,group 7a7 ,establishment ,the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development 7referred to in this ,act as the ,,usaid ,administrator71 in cooperation with the ,mental ,health and ,psychosocial ,support ,coordinator1 shall establish the ,mental ,health and ,psychosocial ,support ,working ,group1 which shall include representatives from every ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development bureau and from the ,department of ,state1 to ensure continuity and sustainability of mental health and psychosocial support across foreign assistance programs4 7b7 ,requirements ,the ,mental ,health and ,psychosocial ,support ,working ,group-- 7#a7 should include representation at the ,deputy ,assistant ,administrator level from every ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development bureau2 7#b7 shall promote and encourage dialogue across the interagency on mental health and psychosocial support program development and best practices2 and 7#c7 shall coordinate the implementation and continuity of mental health and psychosocial support programs-- 7,a7 within ,,usaid2 7,b7 between the ,,usaid and the ,bureau of ,population1 ,refugees1 and ,migration of the ,department of ,state2 and 7,c7 in consultation with the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention and the ,national ,institutes of ,mental ,health1 as appropriate4 #e4 ,integration of mental health and psychosocial support 7a7 ,statement of policy ,it is the policy of the ,united ,states to integrate mental health and psychosocial support across all foreign assistance programs funded by the ,united ,states ,government4 7b7 ,implementation of policy ,the ,,usaid ,administrator and the ,secretary of ,state shall-- 7#a7 require all ,,usaid and ,department of ,state regional bureaus and missions to utilize such policy for local capacity building1 as appropriate1 for mental health and psychosocial support programming2 7#b7 ensure that all ,,usaid and ,department of ,state mental health and psychosocial support programming-- 7,a7 is evidence-based and culturally competent2 7,b7 responds to all types of childhood adversity2 and 7,c7 includes trauma-specific interventions in accordance with the recognized principles of a trauma-informed approach1 whenever applicable2 and 7#c7 integrate the ,advancing ,protection and ,care for ,children in ,adversity ,strategy into its official policy4 #f4 ,briefing requirements 7a7 ,,usaid briefing ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,,usaid ,administrator and the ,secretary of ,state shall brief the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives regarding-- 7#a7 the progress made in carrying out section #e7;b72 and 7#b7 any barriers preventing the full integration of the strategy referred to in section #e7;b77#c74 7b7 ,briefing on spending ,the ,,usaid ,administrator1 in consultation with the ,director of the ,office of ,management and ,budget1 as necessary and appropriate1 shall annually brief the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives during each of the fiscal years #bjbb through #bjbf regarding the amount of ,united ,states foreign assistance spent during the most recently concluded fiscal year on child mental health and psychosocial support programming4 7c7 ,,usaid and ,department of ,state briefings ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 annually thereafter for the following #e fiscal years1 and subsequently1 as requested1 the ,,usaid ,administrator and the ,secretary of ,state1 in consultation with the ,mental ,health and ,psychosocial ,support ,coordinator appointed pursuant to section #ace7;f7 of the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa1 as added by section #c1 shall brief the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives regarding-- 7#a7 how ,,usaid and the ,department of ,state have integrated mental health and psychosocial programming1 including child-specific programming1 into their development and humanitarian assistance programs across health1 education1 nutrition1 and child protection sectors2 7#b7 the metrics of success of the ,advancing ,protection and ,care for ,children in ,adversity ,strategy2 7#c7 the mental health outcomes pertaining to the evidence-based strategic objectives upon which such strategy is built2 7#d7 where trauma-specific strategies are being implemented1 and how best practices for trauma-informed programming are being shared across programs2 7#e7 barriers preventing full integration of child mental health and psychosocial support into programs for children and youth and recommendations for its expansion2 7#f7 any unique barriers to the expansion of mental health and psychosocial support programming in conflict and humanitarian settings and how such barriers are being addressed2 7#g7 the impact of the ,,covid-#ai pandemic on mental health and psychosocial support programming2 and 7#h7 funding data1 including a list of programs to which ,,usaid and the ,department of ,state have obligated funds during the most recently concluded fiscal year to improve access to1 and the quality of1 mental health and psychosocial support programming in development and humanitarian contexts4