Community Mental Wellness Worker Training Act

This bill, titled the Community Mental Wellness Worker Training Act, authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a grant program for training and certifying community mental wellness workers . These grants will enable eligible entities to implement programs where workers screen for common mental health and substance use conditions and deliver evidence-informed, culturally and linguistically competent counseling interventions. The goal is to address basic psychosocial or psychotherapeutic treatment needs, including safety planning and suicide risk reduction. Grant funds will support training, certification, and supervision for these workers and their supervisors, covering costs for digital platforms and intervention delivery. The Secretary will also provide technical assistance to grantees, aiding in worker integration and candidate identification, with this information disseminated to states, tribes, and other behavioral health organizations. Priority for grant awards will be given to entities in areas with high poverty, medically underserved communities, high substance use rates, or high numbers of dually eligible Medicare/Medicaid individuals. Additionally, the bill extends federal malpractice and negligence protections to covered entities and their personnel participating in the grant program. It authorizes an appropriation of $25,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030, reserving at least 20 percent for technical assistance. The Secretary is also required to submit interim and final reports to Congress detailing the program's outcomes.