To provide for the establishment of regional centers to assist State and local governments, health maintenance organizations, nonprofit organizations, and other organizations in the development of peer-support activities and other nonprofessional services to assist persons to cope with and overcome persistent mental illnesses.

June 28, 2001

Mr. GREENWOOD (for himself, Ms. KAPTUR, Ms. LEE, Mr. STARK, Mr. BONIOR, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. BALDACCI, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mrs. TAUSCHER, Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut, Mr. ENGLISH, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. TOWNS, Ms. HART, Mr. SHOWS, Ms. MCCARTHY of Missouri, Mr. FROST, Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. DEFAZIO, and Mrs. ROUKEMA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Engergy and Commerce

To provide for the establishment of regional centers to assist State and local governments, health maintenance organizations, nonprofit organizations, and other organizations in the development of peer-support activities and other nonprofessional services to assist persons to cope with and overcome persistent mental illnesses.

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 `Mental Illness Consumer-Run Services Support Act'.

SEC. 2. CENTERS TO PROMOTE CONSUMER-RUN SUPPORT SERVICES.

(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as the `Secretary') shall make awards of grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to public and nonprofit private entities to establish 10 regional centers that will assist State and local governments, health maintenance organizations, nonprofit organizations, and other organizations in the development of peer-support activities and other nonprofessional services that serve as a compliment to, rather than a substitute for, psychiatric treatment to assist persons to cope with and overcome persistent mental illnesses.

(b) PREFERENCE IN MAKING AWARDS- In making awards under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give preference to applicants that--

(1) are consumer-run organizations;

(2) have experience in planning, providing, and evaluating services that are furnished to persons with mental illness by nonprofessional peers who have a history of mental illness; and

(3) follow established evidence-based practice with respect to consumer-run and peer support programs.

(c) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION- The Secretary shall ensure that awards under subsection (a) with respect to regional centers are distributed equitably among the regions of the country and among urban and rural areas.

(d) APPLICATION- An award may be made under subsection (a) only if an application for the award is submitted to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and with such information as the Secretary may reasonably require.

(e) EVALUATION- An award may be made under subsection (a) only if the applicant involved agrees to submit to the Secretary an evaluation at the end of the program period regarding activities carried out under the award.

(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- For the purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2002 through 2005.

END