A bipartisan group of Congressional representatives has introduced a bill aimed at alleviating the behavioral health workforce shortage through a student loan repayment program.
The bill is specifically aimed at recruiting students at Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to work in the behavioral health field.
The legislation proposes that, to be eligible for the program, qualified mental health providers must be employed full-time for at least 5 years in a designated mental health professional shortage area and be graduates of a HBCU or MSI.
If passed, eligible recipients could have their student loan principal and interest repaid in full, up to $200,000.
“By incentivizing students at HBCUs to pursue careers in mental health and serve the underserved, rural, and uninsured communities many calls home, we can help close the gap between patients and the care they need,” Representative Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) said in a statement. No one should be denied care because of where they live or their ability to pay, and we must strengthen our mental healthcare workforce to meet this moment.”
According to an analysis by KFF, 6,800 practitioners are needed to remove the HPSA designation.
“Our country cannot meet the growing demand for mental health care without investing in the workforce,” Hannah Wesolowski, Chief Advocacy Officer at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), said in a statement. “By providing loan forgiveness to students from HBCUs and Minority Serving Institutions who commit to serving in Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas, the Mental Health Workforce Act helps ensure communities with the greatest need have access to highly qualified providers who reflect the communities that they serve.”