Community Mental Wellness and Resilience Act of 2025
The Community Mental Wellness and Resilience Act of 2025 would amend the Public Health Service Act to create a new grant program (Sec. 317W) administered by the Department of Health and Human Services. The goal is to promote mental wellness and resilience and to prevent and heal mental health, behavioral health, and psychosocial conditions by supporting developmentally and culturally appropriate, community-based programs. The program emphasizes a public health approach—focusing on prevention, early intervention, and community-wide strategies—rather than solely treating individuals after symptoms appear. It would fund a nationwide network of diverse community partners to assess needs, develop coordinated plans, and establish or expand community-based mental wellness initiatives, with a focus on strengthening protective factors and reducing risk factors. The bill creates two grant types: (1) planning grants (up to $250,000) to form and organize a resilience coordinating network, conduct needs assessments, and prepare full grant applications; and (2) program grants (up to $500,000 per year for up to four years) to establish or expand community mental wellness and resilience programs. A rural set-aside would reserve 20% of annual funds for rural communities. The program requires proactive data collection, development of a strategic plan using evidence-based or culturally appropriate practices, and ongoing evaluation. It also codifies a resilience coordinating network drawn from a broad mix of sectors (schools, faith organizations, youth programs, public agencies, businesses, health professionals, community groups, and more). A reporting obligation to Congress is due by December 31, 2030, and appropriations are authorized at $36 million for 2025–2029, with up to 5% for technical assistance.
Key Points
- 1Establishes a new Sec. 317W grant program under the Public Health Service Act to fund community-based mental wellness and resilience efforts, aiming to prevent and heal mental health and psychosocial conditions through a public health lens.
- 2Two grant tracks: (a) planning grants up to $250,000 to form resilience coordinating networks and prepare full applications; (b) program grants up to $500,000 per year for up to four years to establish/expand programs.
- 320% rural set-aside: ensures a portion of funds specifically go to rural community programs.
- 4Requires a resilience coordinating network made up of representatives from at least five of specified sectors (e.g., schools, health professionals, faith groups, youth programs, public safety, business, community groups, environmental/climate groups, etc.).
- 5Programs must use a public health approach, collect resident and quantitative data, identify protective and risk factors, build community leadership, and implement a comprehensive, culturally and developmentally appropriate plan with ongoing evaluation.
- 6Emphasizes nonclinical group and community-minded prevention/recovery activities and promotes trauma-informed care and simple self-administered resilience skills.
- 7Technical assistance provided by the Secretary or through grants/contracts to help with grant applications and sharing best practices; a Congress report due by 2030 summarizing outcomes and best practices.
- 8Authorization of appropriations of $36 million for FY2025–FY2029, with a limit that no more than 5% of funds may be used for technical assistance.