[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 62 (Thursday, April 11, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H2304]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1730
                          MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

  (Mr. BOWMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BOWMAN. Mr. Speaker, we are facing a mental health crisis. 
Yesterday, I introduced the ACCESS in Mental Health Act to highlight an 
issue that is critical to our democracy and our collective mental 
health.
  Everyone deserves access to diverse mental health professionals. That 
is why I introduced this legislation, which will invest in HBCUs, TCUs, 
MSIs, and HSIs, to create and expand graduate programs in mental health 
fields and support students pursuing graduate degrees in mental health 
at these institutions.
  I am grateful to have the partnership of Maria Alfaro from Que Paso 
Latinx in Westchester County, New York; the Hispanic Association of 
Colleges and Universities; and the American Psychological Association 
in moving this bill forward.
  As an educator in the Bronx, I saw how powerful it was for students 
to have mentors that looked like them. Everyone deserves to turn to 
someone that they can trust who reflects their identities. We need to 
diversify and expand our mental health workforce to meet the needs of 
every American, especially our most marginalized communities.

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