This bill focuses on improving mental health support for LGBTQ+ youth and Two Spirit indigenous youth. It directs the federal government to fund programs that help these young people access mental health and substance abuse treatment, train their caregivers and teachers to better support them, and gather data about their health needs. The bill specifically prohibits using any of this money for conversion therapy—practices that try to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity. Beyond funding, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to survey LGBTQ+ youth about their mental health experiences, study how well foster care and other social service programs are serving LGBTQ+ youth, and make sure government websites have up-to-date, accurate information about mental health resources for these communities. Essentially, it's designed to address the higher rates of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse that research shows LGBTQ+ youth experience, while ensuring they get affirming care that respects their identity rather than trying to change it.

Pride In Mental Health Act of 2023

Davids, Sharice

Pride in Mental Health Act of 2023This bill establishes grants and reporting requirements concerning the mental and behavioral health of youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer or questioning, nonbinary, intersex, or Two Spirit (gender-variant members of indigenous communities).Specifically, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) must award grants to assess and improve mental health and substance abuse outcomes for those youth. Recipients may use grants for providing mental and behavioral health resources for such youth (including training for caregivers and school-based interventions) and collecting data. Recipients may not use grants for any practice or treatment that seeks to change another individual's sexual orientation or gender (i.e., conversion therapy).Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must (1) conduct a survey to measure issues related to mental health and health care among such youth; and (2) report about the mental health and related care of such youth who are in foster care and otherwise participate in federal social services programs.HHS must also review existing publications on SAMHSA's website that focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, nonbinary, intersex, and Two Spirit individuals and update or commission new publications to fill information gaps related to the mental and behavioral health of those individuals.