HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 516        FILED ON: 1/13/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1995

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Michael P. Kushmerek and Sally P. Kerans

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act establishing maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce grants.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 516        FILED ON: 1/13/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1995

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 4740 OF 2021-2022.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

_______________

An Act establishing maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce grants.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Chapter 6A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 16CC the following section:-

Section 16DD. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-

“Health professional shortage area”, a specific geographic area, specific population group or specific facility federally designated as having a critical shortage of primary, dental, or mental health care providers.

“Maternal healthcare desert”, a region where the population has inadequate access to maternal healthcare.

“Maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce”, mental or behavioral health care providers who focus on maternal or perinatal health.

“Medically underserved populations”, federally designated populations that have too few primary care providers, high infant mortality, high poverty or high elderly population.

“Mental or behavioral health care provider”, a health care provider in the field of mental or behavioral health, including substance use disorders, acting in accordance with the laws of the commonwealth.

“Secretary”, the secretary of health and human services.

(b) The secretary may award grants to entities to establish or expand programs to grow and diversify the maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce.

(c) Recipients of grants under this section shall use the grants to grow and diversify the maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce by:

(1) establishing schools or programs that provide education and training to individuals seeking appropriate licensing or certification as mental or behavioral health care providers who will specialize in maternal mental health conditions or substance use disorders; or

(2) expanding the capacity of existing schools or programs described in paragraph (1) of this subsection, for the purposes of increasing the number of students enrolled in those schools or programs, including by awarding scholarships for students.

(d) In awarding grants under this section, the secretary shall give priority to any entity that:

(1) has demonstrated a commitment to recruiting and retaining students and faculty from medically underserved populations or maternal health care deserts;

(2) has developed a strategy to recruit and retain a diverse pool of students into the maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce program or school supported by funds received through the grant, particularly from medically underserved populations;

(3) has developed a strategy to recruit and retain students who plan to practice in a health professional shortage area;

(4) has developed a strategy to recruit and retain students who plan to practice in an area with significant racial, ethnic and rural disparities in maternal health outcomes, to the extent practicable; and

(5) includes in the standard curriculum for all students within the maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce program or school a bias, racism or discrimination training program that includes training on implicit bias and racism.

(e) The period of a grant awarded to an entity under this section shall be up to 5 years.

(f) To seek a grant under this section, an entity shall submit to the secretary an application at such time, in such manner and containing such information as the secretary may require.

(g) The secretary shall provide, directly or by contract, technical assistance to entities seeking or receiving a grant under this section on the development, use, evaluation and post-grant period sustainability of the maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce programs or schools proposed, established or expanded through the grant.

(h) The secretary shall collaborate with the executive office of labor and workforce development to develop maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce standards to measure the efficacy of grants awarded pursuant to this section.

(i) As a condition of receipt of a grant under this section for a maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce program or school, a recipient of funds shall agree to submit to the secretary an annual report on the activities conducted through the grant. The report shall include:

(1) the number and demographics of students participating in the program or school;

(2) the extent to which students in the program or school are entering careers in health professional shortage areas designated by the commonwealth, areas with significant racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes and maternal health care deserts to the extent such data are available; and

(3) whether the program or school has included in the standard curriculum for all students a bias, racism or discrimination training program that includes training on implicit bias and racism, and if so data on maternal mental and behavioral health care outcomes for patients belonging to medically underserved populations who receive treatment from such students.

(j) Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this section, the secretary shall prepare and submit to the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, and post on the internet website of the department a report on the effectiveness of the grant program under this section at:

(1) recruiting students from medically underserved populations;

(2) increasing the number of mental or behavioral health care providers specializing in maternal mental health conditions or substance use disorders from medically underserved populations;

(3) increasing the number of mental or behavioral health care providers specializing in maternal mental health conditions or substance use disorders working in health professional shortage areas; and

(4) increasing the number of mental or behavioral health care providers specializing in maternal mental health conditions or substance use disorders working in areas with significant racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes, as well as maternal health care deserts and rural areas, to the extent such data are available.