Bipartisan Safer Communities Act includes support for afterschool and summer programs

Update: On June 24 the House passed the bipartisan Safer Communities Act by a vote of 234 to 193 after the Senate passed the bill the preceding evening. The bill now goes to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

In response to horrific episodes of gun violence ravaging our nation, a group of 20 Democratic and Republican Senators, led by Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and John Cornyn (R-TX), have released bipartisan legislation. The bipartisan Safer Communities Act includes gun safety measures, mental health support investments, and school safety provisions that aim to prevent gun violence. The legislation is backed by Senate majority and minority leadership and would provide critical support to states and local communities working to prevent gun-related violence.

Among the youth and school related provisions is $50 million in additional funding to the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21^st CCLC) program, which funds afterschool and summer learning programs, to be available through September 30, 2023. The additional 21^st CCLC funds include a focus on programs for middle school and high school students. Afterschool and summer learning programs provide a safe, nurturing environment for young people and can be part of a comprehensive public health and wellness approach to youth violence prevention. In addition to academic support, quality afterschool programs provide youth development opportunities and protective factors for young people that support mentally and physically healthy children and teens.

In addition to the investment in afterschool and summer, the Safer Communities Act proposes a wide range of other supports for youth, schools, and communities, including:

School and Youth Provisions

• School Based Mental Health Services and Staff: Provides $500 million through the School Based Mental Health Services Grant Program to increase the number of qualified mental health service providers that provide school based mental health services to students in school districts with demonstrated need.
• Training and Pipeline Development for School Based Mental Health Staff: Provides $500 million in funding to the School Based Mental Health Service Professionals Demonstration Grant. This money will help train and diversify the pipeline of school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists.
• Improving Conditions for Student Learning: Provides $1 billion in funding through Title IV-A of the Every Student Succeeds Act to support a variety of activities to improve conditions for student learning, including developing positive school climates through evidence-based practices. Language was also included in the bill that prohibits any ESSA funds from being used to purchase firearms or train school personnel to use firearms.
• School Safety: Provides $300 million in funding through the STOP School Violence Act to institute safety measures in and around schools, support school violence prevention efforts and provide training to school personnel and students.
• Codifies the SchoolSafety.gov clearinghouse, which provides evidence-based resources to improve school safety. Prohibits use of funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to train or equip any person with dangerous weapons in schools.

Children and Family Mental Health Provisions

• Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic: Expands the existing Medicaid CCBHC demonstration program to all states to increase access to community based behavioral health services.
• School-based mental health: Helps states to implement, enhance, and expand school-based health programs under Medicaid through updated guidance, technical assistance, and state planning grants.
• Gold standard in mental health coverage for children: Improves oversight of states’ implementation of Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit, the country’s gold standard in children’s health coverage, to strengthen children’s access to comprehensive mental health care services.
• Telemental health services for children: Requires CMS to provide guidance to states on how they can increase access to behavioral health services through telehealth under Medicaid and CHIP.
• Teleconsults for pediatricians and mental health specialists: Provides $80 million in grants to support pediatric primary care providers to rapidly access mental health specialists’ expertise in guiding the treatment of their patients.
• Training for pediatric providers: Appropriates $60 million over five years for training in mental health for primary care clinicians who treat children and youth.
• Community and first responder mental health training: Appropriates $120 million over four years to prepare and train community members and first responders on how to appropriately and safely respond to individuals with mental disorders.
• Support for states to expand mental health services: Provides $250 million for states, DC, and territories to enhance comprehensive community mental health services.
• Support after traumatic events: Appropriates $40 million over four years to improve treatment and services for children, adolescents, and families who have experienced traumatic events.
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline/9-8-8: Appropriates $150 million to support implementation of the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline that provides 24/7, free and confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress
• Building awareness of and access to services for mental health: Appropriates $240 million over four years for Project AWARE programs that increase awareness of mental health issues among school-aged youth, provide training for school personnel and other adults who interact with school-aged youth to detect and respond to mental health issues, and connect school-aged youth who may have behavioral health issues and their families to needed services.
  • School-based trauma support: Includes a set aside of $28 million for grants to support trauma care in school settings. These Sec. 7134 grants were originally created in 2018 by the RISE from Trauma Act, led by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Shelley Capito (R-WV), and are funded to increase the provision of trauma-informed care in schools.  

The bill also includes a number of provisions addressing gun safety – see bill text and a summary for additional information. The legislation passed a key procedural vote in the Senate on Tuesday. Senate leadership has called for its passage this week before the Senate goes into the July 4^th recess. While the bill faces considerable challenges from Republicans in the House, that chamber is expected to consider the bill before leaving the recess as well, although they may have to work through the weekend.

Keeping children, families and members of their communities safe, loved, and physically and mentally healthy is foundational to the work of afterschool professionals. Nothing will restore the tragic losses we’ve seen. We dedicate our ongoing work to a future where youth have all the supports and resources they need to become healthy adults.