By: Cristina N. Hyde, JD

Last week, President Biden gave his State of the Union address where he emphasized his administration’s commitment to focus on our nation’s growing mental health crisis.  In conjunction with the President’s address, the White House released a Fact Sheet that further explained the Biden administration’s vision to transform how mental health is understood, perceived, accessed, and treated in our country.  As part of that vision, the President declared his intention to sign the bipartisan Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act into law.

As we explained previously in our August 5, 2020, and April 7, 2021, blog posts, this pioneer legislation calls for programming to reduce burnout suffered by our healthcare workers, and particularly our front-line workers who continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.  Through federal grants, it aims to support mental health programs for health care professionals and prevent death by suicide by promoting stigma-free access to information and treatment, without fear of professional repercussions.  The legislation also aims to highlight the mental and behavioral health conditions affecting our health care providers through a national education and awareness campaign that that would train health care professionals, residents and students on how to improve their mental-well being and job satisfaction, among other topics.

As we anticipate the signing of this important law, you can find more information about the initiative on the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation website.

If you are in crisis, Campanella Law Office begs you not to struggle alone.  Reach out for help and call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or contact the Crises Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.