WASHINGTON, D.C. – In honor of Suicide Prevention Month, Congressman Troy A. Carter Sr. (D-LA) and Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) introduced the 988 Crisis Workforce Response Act. This legislation builds on existing behavioral health workforce training programs at the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to include trained crisis professionals, improving recruitment and retention efforts for these critical members of the behavioral health care team. 

“America is not only experiencing a mental health crisis – but a severe mental health workforce shortage,” said Congressman Carter. “Every year, millions of Americans rely on the 988 Crisis Line to connect them to care, to specialists, and to hope. But without a properly trained and substantial workforce, individuals with mental health needs aren’t getting the care they deserve. This commonsense legislation will ensure that our behavioral health professionals have the support and resources necessary to continue providing care to those who need it.”

“When someone calls 988, they are often reaching out on one of the hardest days of their life. We need to make sure there is a trained professional ready to answer that call and help them through what comes next,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “I’m proud to partner with Congressman Carter on this impactful legislative effort to build the behavioral health workforce communities need and turn 988 from a number people can call into a system that can truly respond when someone is in crisis.”

Background

Nationwide, 137 million Americans live in a Mental Health Professional Service Area, and many states specifically report they have a shortage of crisis care providers. Without dedicated recruitment and retention programs, we will continue to fall short of the workforce needs for a robust crisis care continuum. 

The 988 Crisis Response Workforce Act builds on existing behavioral health workforce training programs at the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to include trained crisis professionals, improving recruitment and retention efforts for these critical members of the behavioral health care team.   

Specifically, this bill: 

• Directs the Secretary to collect data on the availability and shortage of crisis response professionals and facilities. 
• Creates a $10 million pilot program to train professionals who provide crisis management services, including those delivered at crisis call centers, as part of a mobile crisis response team, or through a crisis receiving and stabilization program, as part of the Minority Fellowship Program, 
• Authorizes $10 million to add crisis workforce training programs as part of the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training program. 

The 988 Crisis Workforce Response Act was included in a larger 988 package – the 988 Implementation Act, which was introduced earlier this month. The 988 Implementation Act is cosponsored by Congressmembers Doris Matsui (CA-07), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Troy Carter (LA-02), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Don Beyer (VA-08), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Becca Balint (VT-AL), and Kim Schrier (WA-08). The comprehensive legislative package will provide states with federal resources to build the crisis response infrastructure behind the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Read the full bill text here.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter Sr. (D-LA), alongside Reps.  Mike Ezell (R-MS) and Bennie Thompson (D-MS) introduced the Federal Emergency Mobilization Accountability (FEMA) Workforce Planning Act. This legislation requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop and submit detailed workforce plans to Congress to ensure the agency can effectively respond to natural disasters and other emergencies. It also requires FEMA to improve employee recruitment and retention efforts, develop strategies to train and deploy its workforce efficiently, and use data to address and fix staffing gaps.

“Americans rely on FEMA in our most desperate moments,” said Congressman Carter. “As storms grow more intense and last longer, our commitment to preparedness must grow stronger too. I’m proud to champion this bipartisan legislation that will ensure FEMA has the support they need to maintain an effective and efficient workforce prepared to respond wherever and whenever disaster strikes.”

“Communities across South Mississippi know firsthand how important it is to have a prepared and capable FEMA workforce when disaster strikes,” said Congressman Ezell. “I’m proud to help introduce the FEMA Workforce Planning Act to ensure FEMA has the right people, training, and resources in place to respond quickly and effectively when Americans need help most. By improving workforce planning and addressing staffing gaps before the next emergency, we can strengthen FEMA’s readiness and better serve communities recovering from disasters.”

“Unfortunately, FEMA’s longstanding workforce problems have only worsened over the last year and a half. In order to respond to worsening disasters, we need FEMA to have the proper analysis, strategies, and plans to ensure its workforce is effective and meeting the needs of the nation. I thank Congressman Carter for introducing this necessary legislation,” said Congressman Thompson.

Background

The Federal Emergency Mobilization Accountability (FEMA) Workforce Planning Act requires the FEMA Administrator to develop a human capital operating plan, in accordance with best practices outlined by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Comptroller General of the United States, to shape and improve the Agency's workforce. The plan must be submitted to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure every 3 years.

The workforce plans must include:

• Performance measures to evaluate progress towards the human capital goals of FEMA, including filling staffing gaps, closing skills gaps in mission-critical occupations, and implementing workforce training and, if applicable, progress towards meeting those goals;
• Details of the types of employees of FEMA, including by hiring authority and cadre;
• A comprehensive analysis of the projected costs associated with implementing the plan;
• Strategies and practices designed to increase cost-efficiency within the workforce operations of FEMA, including reducing overhead costs, improving resource utilization, and avoiding unnecessary expenditures;
• A detailed analysis of how FEMA determined its current overall staffing goals;
• An analysis of the current workforce of FEMA and possible gaps in the current staffing structure needed to fulfill FEMA’s mission; and,
• A plan of action with specific recommendations for developing and reshaping the workforce of FEMA to address the gaps in critical and emerging skills.

Read the full bill text here.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) released the following statement after a report came out that L.B. Landry High School could be forced to close. 

“We must act now to save L. B. Landry High School.

“The clock is ticking, and Landry’s students, educators, families, and legacy cannot afford further delay. I am calling on NOLA Public Schools and the Orleans Parish School Board to act immediately to keep Landry open, identify a qualified operator, provide the resources students need, and ensure that the Algiers community has a meaningful voice in every decision.

“I grew up in Algiers, and my mother graduated from Landry in the early 1950s. As a member of the New Orleans City Council, I helped rename the street in honor of Dr. Lord Beaconsfield Landry because I understood what his name—and this school—mean to our community.

“We understand that Landry faces serious enrollment and financial challenges, but if Algiers Charter does not intend to renew its charter, then NOLA Public Schools must immediately begin a transparent search for a qualified operator, publish a clear transition timeline, and provide the enrollment, financial, and academic support Landry needs to remain open.

“I am also calling on the Orleans Parish School Board to work with NOLA Public Schools to identify funding, approve a viable operating plan, and consider every option for preserving Landry as a public high school, including interim management if necessary. Any potential operator must present a concrete plan to maintain strong academics, recruit and retain experienced educators, support current students, and rebuild enrollment through meaningful partnerships with Algiers families and community organizations.

“No decision should be made without a public process that gives students, families, educators, alumni, and residents a meaningful opportunity to be heard. The community must have a voice now—not after decisions about Landry’s future have already been made.

“Landry stood before my mother as she walked its halls, and generations of Algiers families have helped shape its story. We owe today’s students a quality education, and we owe future students a genuine effort to keep that story alive. Saving Landry will require urgency, accountability, and an unwavering commitment to the families who depend on it.

“Please contact NOLA Public Schools and the Orleans Parish School Board today. Tell them to keep L. B. Landry High School open, pursue every viable operating option, and include the Algiers community in the process. Your voice matters, and we need it now.

“I also urge you to attend the town hall I will host to hear from the community and discuss what it will take to keep Landry open. Please watch for details and make plans to attend. This is our opportunity to stand together and demand action before it is too late.

“Algiers has never been a community that gives up on its own. But saving Landry will require all of us to act now. Contact NOLA Public Schools, attend the town hall, and help us protect this vital institution for today’s students and generations to come.”

You can read the original article here.