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Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023
3/14/2024, 6:05 AM
Summary of Bill S 462
Under this bill, mental health professionals such as psychologists, social workers, and counselors who work in designated shortage areas would be eligible to have a portion of their student loans forgiven. This incentive is intended to encourage more professionals to work in areas where there is a high demand for mental health services but a limited supply of providers.
The bill also includes provisions for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the loan repayment program, as well as for making adjustments to ensure that it is meeting its goals. Additionally, the bill calls for increased funding for mental health workforce development programs to further support the recruitment and retention of mental health professionals in underserved areas. Overall, the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023 seeks to address the critical shortage of mental health professionals in the United States by providing financial incentives for professionals to work in areas where their services are most needed.
Congressional Summary of S 462
Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023
This bill reauthorizes through FY2032 and expands the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. Through this program, the Health Resources and Services Administration provides loan repayment assistance to individuals who agree to work for a period of time in the field of substance use disorder treatment.
In particular, the bill expands eligibility to include individuals who agree to work in mental health professional shortage areas for a period of time.
The bill also allows the use of the loan repayment assistance to repay any loan incurred to obtain a post-graduate degree in a mental health or related field. (Current law limits the loans eligible for repayment to loans for education and training for substance use disorder treatment employment and specified nursing and federal education loans.)
