Congressman Carter Introduces Bill to Address Mental Health Workforce Shortage Crisis and Racial Disparities in Access to Mental Health Services

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.) has introduced H.R.7787, theMental Health Workforce Act which addresses the mental health workforce shortage and urgent need for diversity among mental health providers in the United States. The bill would help raise the number of mental health providers, diversify the mental health workforce pipeline, and get care to communities who need these services the most.

“I am committed to fighting for greater representation and inclusivity in mental health care,” said Rep. Carter. “This legislation will help to end the lack of diversity among mental health care providers while increasing the number of culturally competent professionals.”

Numerous barriers to access mental health care treatment persists in communities of color, including the stigma associated with mental illness, general distrust of healthcare institutions, and lack of health insurance. The Mental Health Workforce Act begins to address these systemic inequities. The bill incentivizes students at Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to pursue careers as mental health care providers by offering student loan forgiveness in exchange for a 5-year service commitment after they complete their schooling and become licensed providers. As part of their service commitment, providers would be required to serve patients living in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).

“Access to mental health care should never depend on your zip code or background,” said Rep. McCormick. “As a proud HBCU graduate, I’m honored to support this bipartisan effort to strengthen our mental health workforce, expand access to underserved communities, and ensure every American can get the care they deserve,” said Rep. McCormick.

“For far too long, mental health care in our nation has been ignored and underfunded. Millions of Americans living with mental health conditions are misdiagnosed or go without treatment due to inequities in our healthcare system and a severe shortage of providers,” said Rep. Clarke. “I am proud to co-sponsor the Mental Health Workforce Act alongside my colleague, Rep. Troy Carter, to help address this crisis by strengthening the pipeline of mental health professionals. By incentivizing students at HBCUs to pursue careers in mental health and serve the underserved, rural, and uninsured communities many calls home, we can help close the gap between patients and the care they need. No one should be denied care because of where they live or their ability to pay, and we must strengthen our mental healthcare workforce to meet this moment.”

“Too many families struggle to find mental health care in our underserved communities. This bill is a commonsense approach that will help grow the workforce, improve access to care, and deliver support to patients and families where it is urgently needed,” said Rep. Turner.

“The American Counseling Association (ACA) proudly endorses the Mental Health Workforce Act, a vital step in addressing the nation’s mental health workforce crisis. This legislation helps ensure that communities with the greatest need gain access to essential mental health care, while strengthening the pipeline of diverse, qualified professionals ready to serve where they are needed most,” said Guila Todd, Government Affairs and Public Policy Director at the American Counseling Association.

“Structural racism and stigma create significant barriers to mental health care, contributing to disparities in suicide risk and access to lifesaving support. As a result, only one in three Black adults who need mental health services ultimately receive them,” said Laurel Stine, J.D., M.A., Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “Expanding and diversifying the mental health workforce is a critical component of suicide prevention. We applaud Reps. Troy Carter (D‑LA), Clarke (D‑NY), Turner (R‑OH), and McCormick (R‑GA) for introducing the bipartisan Mental Health Workforce Act, which would encourage students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority‑Serving Institutions to pursue careers in mental health care by offering student loan forgiveness in exchange for a five‑year service commitment. Strengthening the pipeline of culturally competent and diverse providers will help ensure more people— particularly in underserved communities—can access timely, effective care that can prevent suicide and save lives.”

“Our country cannot meet the growing demand for mental health care without investing in the workforce," said Hannah Wesolowski, Chief Advocacy Officer at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). “By providing loan forgiveness to students from HBCUs and Minority Serving Institutions who commit to serving in Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas, the Mental Health Workforce Act helps ensure communities with the greatest need have access to highly qualified providers who reflect the communities that they serve. NAMI thanks Representative Troy Carter for introducing this bill and is proud to support this bipartisan effort to expand access to mental health care across the country.”

“The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is well aware of the workforce shortages in mental health care. NASW applauds Reps. Troy Carter, Yvette Clarke, Mike Turner, and Rich McCormick for introducing the Mental Health Workforce Act. Providing student loan forgiveness to licensed social workers in Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas would help rural and underserved communities have access to critical mental health services. Too often, social workers have a challenge in serving these communities due to financial considerations. This legislation would help social workers to meet clients where they are,” said Anthony Estreet, PhD, MBA, LCSW-C, Chief Executive Officer, NASW.

“Our country faces a severe shortage of mental health clinicians,” said American Psychiatric Association CEO and Medical Director Marketa M. Wills, M.D., M.B.A. “The APA applauds Representatives Carter, Clarke, Turner and McCormick for introducing the Mental Health Workforce Act, important legislation which would invest in a robust and diverse workforce to ensure increased access to care.”

“The American Association of Nurse Practitioners thanks Reps. Troy Carter (D-LA), Clarke (D-NY), Turner (R-OH), and McCormick (R-GA) for helping grow the mental health workforce in underserved communities by introducing the Mental Health Workforce Act,” said AANP President Valerie J. Fuller, PhD, DNP. “Psychiatric-mental health programs are the fastest growing NP programs in the country, and this bill will provide financial support for current and future students enrolled at Historically Black Colleges and Universities to provide behavioral health care in the areas of our country most in need. This will help fill critical workforce gaps and improve the delivery of comprehensive, culturally competent care across the United States.”

Background

The United States has a mental health workforce shortage and severely lacks diversity in its mental health workforce. Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) are one method to measure the extent of current provider shortages. They are used to identify a shortage of health professionals in geographic areas, facilities, or populations. These areas have a shortage of primary, dental, or mental health care providers. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), as of December 2, 2025, 137 million people in the United States— approximately 40% of the U.S. population—live in a Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs)

In 2011, according to the American Psychology Association (APA), psychologists were 85% white and ten years later, in 2021, they were 80% white. Since then, very little has changed and the U.S. still lacks diversity across the mental health workforce generally, which also includes psychiatrists, mental health counselors, social workers, and more. A study from the American Psychology Association also found that Black Americans are still less likely to receive guideline-consistent care, are less frequently included in research studies, and are more likely to resort to emergency rooms or primary care instead of seeking help from mental health specialists.

The Mental Health Workforce Act was co-sponsored by Reps. Michael R. Turner (R-OH), Richard McCormick (R-GA), and Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY). It was endorsed by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Psychological Association, the American Counseling Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and the American Psychiatric Association (APA).

Full text of the bill can be found here.

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