S4812-118

2. Best practices for parents, caregivers, and families The Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use (referred to in this section as the Assistant Secretary) shall, within a relevant existing program of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, carry out a pilot program under which the Assistant Secretary awards competitive grants to eligible entities to support parents, families, and caregivers in addressing behavioral health needs among children, adolescents, and young adults. In this section, the term eligible entity means— a nonprofit organization with appropriate expertise in providing evidence-based or evidence-informed services or programs for children, adolescents, young adults, or families; a nonprofit organization with an evidence-based or evidence-informed focus on mental health or substance use prevention, including such an organization with a focus on children, adolescents, young adults, or families who have lived experience of a mental health or substance use disorder; a child welfare agency; a family and youth homeless service provider; a local educational agency (as defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)); a State educational agency (as defined in such section 8101); a State, a political subdivision of a State, or an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)); or a high school or dormitory serving high school students that receives funding from the Bureau of Indian Education. Grants awarded under subsection (a) shall be used by eligible entities to address behavioral health needs and bolster behavioral health support services for children, adolescents, and young adults by developing and disseminating evidence-based or evidence-informed best practices for parents, caregivers, and families related to— identifying the early warning signs and reducing stigma of mental health and substance use disorder, suicidality, and suicide in children, adolescents, and young adults; improving the general understanding of mental health and substance use disorder, suicidality, suicide, and behavioral health needs with respect to children, adolescents, and young adults, including how to provide positive childhood experiences that impact behavioral health outcomes and well-being; connecting children, adolescents, and young adults with community-based behavioral health providers and trauma-informed crisis response services; teaching help-seeking skills and behaviors; fostering home environments that encourage behavioral health discussions; administering a drug or device approved, cleared, or authorized under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) for emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose; and promoting resiliency in children, adolescents, and young adults. The Assistant Secretary shall carry out an evaluation to measure the efficacy of the best practices under this section at the conclusion of the first grant cycle funded by the pilot program. The evaluation shall include, at a minimum, outcomes information from the pilot program, including any impact on— knowledge and attitudes related to behavioral health with respect to children, adolescents, and young adults among participating parents, caregivers, and families; behavioral health outcomes and well-being measures among participating children, adolescents, and young adults; and help-seeking behaviors, including uptake of behavioral health treatment and trauma-informed crisis response services among participating children, adolescents, and young adults. Not later than 1 year after the end of the first grant cycle, the Assistant Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report on the results of the evaluation conducted under paragraph (1). For the purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2028.