Occupational research program on mental health

(a)

In general

The Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (in this section referred to as the Institute) shall establish a research program to identify and apply comprehensive approaches to support frontline, essential, and other affected workers across all industries and occupations exposed to and affected by workplace stressors that contribute to adverse mental health outcomes, including traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, suicide, and related mental health conditions. In designing such research program, the Director shall, in consultation with the heads of other Federal departments and agencies, as appropriate, address workplace stressors such as— (1)traumatic grief resulting from COVID–19-related death or injury in the workplace; (2)conditions of employment or places of employment, including consecutive shifts, increases in shift duration, changes in workplace protocols, or increases in workloads and demands due to insufficient resources, which can result in fatal, near-fatal, or other serious occupational injuries or illnesses; or (3)workplace violence or other physical and psychological hazards that contribute to worker injury or illness on the job, including poor mental health outcomes among workers. (b)

Best practices and recommendations

As part of the research program established under this section, the Director shall develop best practices or recommendations for organizational-level workplace interventions and support services that would both prevent worker injury or illness and reduce the risk of such adverse mental health outcomes among frontline, essential, and other affected workers across all industries and occupations, including wraparound services, mental health awareness initiatives, workplace stress prevention programs, and training programs to promote work-related stress prevention and reduction and organizational resilience, to include specific strategies for preventing burnout among workers. (c)

Additional support

As part of such research program, the Director shall also coordinate and support efforts through other research programs carried out by the Institute, including the Institute’s Total Worker Health program, to develop comprehensive, evidence-informed approaches to support mental and behavioral health as a part of worker wellbeing and related occupational safety and health programs. (d)

Report

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall— (1)report to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate on the extent to which best practices or recommendations developed pursuant to subsection (b) have been adopted by relevant stakeholders; and (2)engage in education and outreach activities with employers, health care providers, nonprofit organizations, workers, labor organizations, and related stakeholders to support such adoption. (e)

Authorization of appropriations

To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2025.