Alex Padilla U.S. Senator for California

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of World Teen Mental Wellness Day, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), co-founder of the bipartisan Senate Mental Health Caucus, Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), along with Representatives August Pfluger (R-Texas-11), Kim Schrier (D-Wash.-8), John Joyce (R-Pa.-13), and Kathy Castor (D-Fla.-14), introduced bipartisan legislation to combat the growing youth mental health crisis in America. The Early Action and Responsiveness Lifts Youth (EARLY) Minds Act would provide early intervention and prevention services to children struggling with mental health challenges.

The data is clear: more work needs to be done to protect children’s mental health. Over the past few decades, mental health disorders have steadily risen among children and adolescents, with nearly half of adolescents in the United States facing a mental health disorder at some point in their lives. Nearly 20 percent of children ages 3-17 in the United States have a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder. More than 40 percent of teens — including 57 percent of teenage girls — reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Research shows that intervening early with people who are experiencing mental health challenges can help prevent those challenges from turning more serious and becoming more costly to treat, while leading to improvements in symptoms, relationships, quality of life, and engagement with schoolwork.

The EARLY Minds Act seeks to empower states by allowing them to allocate up to five percent of their Mental Health Block Grant funding for prevention and early intervention activities. This strategic allocation of resources is critical to identify and support Americans before their mental health challenges escalate. The Community Mental Health Services Block Grant, administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, is currently limited to funding services for those with severe, diagnosed mental illnesses. With this adjustment, states will have the opportunity to take full advantage of Mental Health Block Grants to intervene early and save lives.

“Young people deserve access to mental health services as soon as they need them. But our children are often forced to wait years for an official diagnosis, leaving them without vital mental health support,” said Senator Padilla. “Our bipartisan legislation would address the growing youth mental health crisis by equipping states to provide young people preventative treatment and early intervention services — because no child should have to suffer in silence.” 

“Prevention and early intervention are key to addressing the mental health crisis,” said Senator Tillis. “The bipartisan EARLY Minds Act gives states the flexibility to invest in these critically-important services to ensure children and families get the support they need when it matters most – not years too late.”

“In recent years, we’ve seen an uptick in depression, anxiety, and other behavioral health conditions among young people, and we need to do more to support them,” said Senator Kaine. “That’s why I’m joining my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan legislation that will help states expand prevention and early intervention mental health resources for young people.”

“As reports of severe mental health issues continue to rise across the country, it is imperative that we address this issue and help people in crisis receive the treatment they need,” said Representative Pfluger. “Research has consistently demonstrated the effectiveness of early intervention in mitigating the severity of mental health challenges among children and adults. By allowing states the flexibility to utilize MHBG funds for prevention and early intervention, the EARLY Minds Act presents a commonsense solution to address the worsening youth mental health crisis.”

“As a pediatrician, I understand the value of preventative care, including for mental health,” said Representative Schrier. “That is why Mental Health Block Grants should fund prevention and early intervention services. At a time when behavioral health challenges are on the rise, it is important to build support systems, resiliency, and coping mechanisms early. This bill will complement existing federal programs like Medicaid and CHIP, that provide critical behavioral health care to children and families across the country.”

“Prevention and early intervention are vital for reducing the severity of mental health challenges, particularly in children,” said Representative Castor. “As Co-Chair of the Children’s Health Care Caucus, I am committed to ensuring families have the support they need to keep their kids healthy at a time with so much uncertainty. Allowing Mental Health Block Grants to fund prevention and early intervention services is a sensible, bipartisan solution to an urgent need. This bill will connect more children with proven, effective care before their health escalates into crisis level. This bill will work best in tandem with strong, robust Medicaid and CHIP programs that provide lifesaving mental health services to children and their families. I look forward to working with Representatives Pfluger, Schrier, and Joyce to advance this critical legislation and protect health coverage for our nation’s kids.”

“Assisting children in crisis so that they can receive the care and support that they need is vital to fixing the youth mental health epidemic in our country,” said Representative Joyce. “As a physician, I know the importance of prevention and early intervention, and I’m proud to cosponsor this legislation to ensure SAMHSA’s Community Mental Health Services Block Grant can be used to effectively reach and assist our nation’s youth in need.” 

“Proactive early intervention and prevention can dramatically change the trajectory of a child’s life by addressing mental health issues before they escalate,” said Matthew Cook, President and CEO of the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA). “The EARLY Minds Act gives states greater flexibility to make resources available for early detection and prevention services like mental health screenings, educational support for parents, and evidence-based interventions for children facing behavioral health challenges. CHA applauds this bipartisan legislation that will help combat the escalating youth mental health crisis.”

On average, there is an 11-year delay between when someone starts experiencing a mental health condition and when they receive treatment. For a young person, that means suffering without help throughout the majority of their childhood before receiving treatment.

The EARLY Minds Act also requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide reports to Congress detailing states’ efforts to promote early intervention. HHS would report to Congress every two years regarding states’ efforts to promote early intervention, including comprehensive information on their activities and outcomes.

The EARLY Minds Act has garnered widespread support from leading mental health advocacy organizations, including American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Mental Health Counselors Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, Anxiety and Depression Association of America, Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Association of Children’s Residential & Community Services (ACRC), Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Children’s Hospital Association, Committee for Children, Crisis Text Line, Family Voices, First Focus Campaign for Children, Global Alliance for Behavioral Health & Social Justice, International Society of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses (ISPN), Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, Mental Health America, Mental Health Counselors Association, MomsRising, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Association of School Psychologists, National Board for Certified Counselors, National Children’s Alliance, National Federation of Families, National League for Nursing, Nemours Children’s Health, Sandy Hook Promise, School Social Work Association of America, Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, The Jed Foundation, The National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health, Trust for America’s Health, Western Youth Services, and Youth Villages.

“Suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people ages 10-19. Preventing youth suicide begins with early intervention,” said Laurel Stine, J.D., M.A., Executive Vice President and Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “By allowing states to use a portion of their Mental Health Block Grant funding to identify and treat behavioral health conditions among children and youth, the EARLY Minds Act takes an upstream approach to mental health that will help support youth at risk for suicide. We commend Representative Pfluger, Representative Schrier, Representative Joyce, Representative Castor, Senator Padilla, Senator Murkowski, Senator Tillis, Senator Kaine, and Senator Murkowski for their leadership on this important issue.”

“Pediatricians know prevention and early intervention is critical to keeping our patients healthy – including their mental health. The EARLY Minds Act would provide states with more options for funding key services that help young people get the care they need before a mental health condition is diagnosed or gets worse. The American Academy of Pediatrics applauds the EARLY Minds Act sponsors for their leadership on this bipartisan bill and calls on lawmakers to swiftly advance it,” said Susan Kressly, MD, FAAP, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“The American Psychological Association applauds Senators Padilla, Tillis, Murkowski, and Kaine for introducing the bipartisan EARLY Minds Act, which will help expand quality, evidence-based mental health prevention and early intervention services to all communities,” said APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD. “Intervening before the onset of mental illness is a cornerstone of a population health approach to treatment. Allowing the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant to be used for prevention and early intervention is critical for ensuring that more people, including the very youngest, do not develop mental health conditions and can lead healthy, productive and fulfilled lives.”

“The Early Minds Act adds critical intervention and preventive programs for children and can greatly benefit families in the under-resourced communicates served by Children’s Hospital Los Angeles,” said Paul Viviano, President and Chief Executive Officer of CHLA. “Allowing states the flexibility of supporting these services can help identify troubled children in the early stages of a mental health crisis before conditions worsen, creating hope and building healthier futures for children.”

“Federal data shows us that our nation’s youth are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis that demands immediate action from us all. As many as 4 out of 10 high school students experience persistent feelings of hopelessness, and 1 in 5 have seriously considered suicide. The sooner we, as Trusted Adults, can intervene and connect young people with help, the more opportunities we have to avert tragedies, self-harm, or suicide. This legislation provides a pathway to act sooner, and lives will not only be saved but will also be transformed, as a result,” said Mark Barden, co-founder and co-CEO of the Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund and father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.

“There’s no question that youth are struggling right now. At Crisis Text Line, young people reaching out for help have told us that they need more in-person programs to support their mental health. That is why we are thrilled to support the EARLY Minds Act, which would allow states the flexibility to invest in critical prevention and early intervention programming,” said Courtney Gallo Hunter, VP, Public Policy, Crisis Text Line.

Senator Padilla is a leading advocate for expanding mental health care access, especially for underserved communities. In 2023, Padilla, Tillis, and Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) launched the bipartisan Senate Mental Health Caucus to serve as a forum for Senators to collaborate on and promote bipartisan legislation and solutions, hold events to raise awareness of critical mental health issues, and destigmatize mental health. Last year, Padilla and Tillis passed a Senate resolution to raise the alarm about the mental health care crisis American children face and highlight the urgent need to increase our investment in mental health care for children and adolescents. Padilla and Tillis applauded the Federal Communications Commission for making critical improvements to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to help callers access localized, lifesaving behavioral health resources and mirrored the main provision of the Senators’ Local 9-8-8 Response Act of 2023. Padilla previously introduced a trio of bills to address the unique mental health needs of military children, Latinos, and farm workers.

A one-pager on the bill is available here.

Full text of the bill is available here.

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