Rep. Susie Lee, Rep. Fred Upton Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Bolster Virtual Mental Health Services

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Representative Susie Lee (D-NV) and Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) introduced the Virtual Peer Support Act, which was introduced earlier this year in the Senate by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV). This legislation would boost the capacity and accessibility of behavioral health support programs by helping service providers expand their services to online platforms. Specifically, the Virtual Peer Support Act would create a $50 million grant program for eligible organizations to fund the implementation of new virtual peer support programs and build out their current online capacity to meet increased need due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Nevada has a mental health crisis that's only gotten worse throughout the course of the pandemic," said Rep. Susie Lee. "From health care workers coping with the stresses of combating COVID to our students bearing the burden of social isolation, we must make mental health services a national priority. That's why I've introduced the Virtual Peer Support Act. Peer support programs work — they provide people a place to build a community, share experiences, discuss coping skills, and offer hope to one another. In short, these services can be the key to saving lives. My bill will maintain this critical support and expand the capacity of peer support programs so that they may provide uninterrupted virtual services throughout COVID and beyond."

"It's no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated our nation's surging mental health crisis and contributed to an alarming rate of suicides nationwide. We cannot allow this tragic trend to continue," said Rep. Fred Upton. "The Virtual Peer Support Act will help those struggling with mental health challenges build a strong support network and receive the treatment they need to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. Protecting and supporting the most vulnerable among us is a bipartisan mission, and I am proud this bill will help us achieve that goal."

"In 1979, concerned mothers sitting around a kitchen table realized what was most helpful for their kids living with a mental health condition: others like them with lived experience in recovery," said Robin Reedy, Executive Director, NAMI Nevada. "NAMI Nevada supports access to peer support, including virtually. Recovery happens when we meet people where they are, and the best help is the help that is accessible and available."

"From the co-occurring disorders seen with individuals in the field of treatment and rehabilitation to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as experienced by Veterans, mental health is woven throughout the variety of services that we at WestCare are so proud to offer," said Dick Steinberg, President, and CEO of WestCare Foundation. "To meet more individuals where they are at in a flexible and virtual setting would ensure that we can still provide help to those in need - even during a pandemic. We proudly stand with Congresswoman Lee and our colleagues in our field in support of the Virtual Peer Support Act."

For more information on the Virtual Peer Support Act, click here.

Endorsing Organizations:

• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)
• Mental Health America (MHA)
• National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI)
• American Nurses Association (ANA)
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
• Faces and Voices of Recovery (FAVOR)
• National Register of Health Service Psychologists
• Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance
• American Association on Health and Disability
• Lakeshore Foundations
• National Association of County Behavioral Health & Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD)
• National Association for Rural Mental Health (NARMH)
• Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America
• International Society for Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses
• JED Foundation
• American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work
• National League for Nursing
• National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
• National Association for Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment (NABITA)
• Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness
• WestCare Foundation
• Oasis Counseling

Original Cosponsors:

• Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC)
• Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
• Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA)
• Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV)
• Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)
• Rep. Annie Kuster (D-NH)
• Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA)
• Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN)
• Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI)
• Rep. David Trone (D-MD)
• Rep. Michael F.Q. San Nicolas (D-GU)