# Mental Health Justice Act of 2022: Plain Language Summary

This bill creates a federal grant program to fund mental health professionals who respond to emergency calls instead of police officers. When someone calls 911 or a crisis hotline reporting that a person is experiencing a mental health crisis, has a mental illness, or has an intellectual or developmental disability, states and local communities could use this money to send trained mental health professionals to handle the situation rather than sending armed police. The bill also covers situations where someone appears to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The federal government would provide up to $250 million over five years to help states, tribes, and local governments set up or expand these programs.

The mental health professionals hired through these grants would receive specialized training in de-escalation techniques and age-appropriate approaches to help people in crisis. They would also connect people with community support services when appropriate, rather than pushing them toward arrest or institutionalization. The bill requires dispatch centers to train their staff on how to properly identify and route these mental health calls. Importantly, the bill emphasizes that these mental health responders can work independently or in partnership with police departments—communities get to decide what works best for them.

To make sure the programs actually work, the bill includes strong accountability measures. Communities receiving grants must report quarterly on how many calls they're handling with mental health professionals instead of police, and they must track whether the program is reducing arrests and deaths among people with mental illness. If a program starts sending more people to jail or institutions instead of fewer, the federal government can take back the grant money. The bill also requires a national study within three years to examine whether these programs successfully divert people away from the criminal justice system and improve their long-term outcomes.

The bill makes clear that it doesn't prevent communities from hiring police officers or using them when truly necessary—like in situations involving immediate danger or serious crimes. It's designed to create an alternative response option for situations where mental health expertise, rather than law enforcement, is the better tool for helping someone in crisis.

Mental Health Justice Act of 2022

Porter, Katie

Mental Health Justice Act of 2022 This bill creates a grant program for states, tribal entities, and local governments to train and dispatch mental health professionals to respond, instead of law enforcement officers, to emergencies that involve people with behavioral health needs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) must manage the program in consultation with the Department of Justice (DOJ). SAMHSA may cancel grants that increase incarceration or institutionalization. The Department of Health and Human Services and DOJ must evaluate this program.