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Bill
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Title II — Workforce development

S. 1770 · 116th Congress · Jun 10, 2019 · Lineage

II Workforce development

Sec. 201 Diversity training for individuals from communities that have experienced high levels of trauma, violence, or addiction

Part B of title VII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 293 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“742. Individuals from communities that have experienced high levels of trauma, violence, or addiction

“In carrying out activities under this part, the Secretary shall ensure that emphasis is provided on the recruitment of individuals from communities that have experienced high levels of trauma, violence, or addiction and that appropriate activities under this part are carried out in partnership with community-based organizations that have expertise in addressing such challenges to enhance service delivery.”

Sec. 202 Funding for the National Health Service Corps

Section 10503(b)(2) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 254b–2(b)(2)) is amended—
(1)
in subparagraph (E), by striking “and” at the end;
(2)
in subparagraph (F), by striking the period and inserting “; and”; and
(3)
by adding at the end the following:

“(G) $360,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024.”

Sec. 203 Infant and early childhood clinical workforce

Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280g) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“399V–7. Infant and early childhood clinical workforce

“(a) In general—The Secretary, acting through the Associate Administrator of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, shall establish an Infant and Early Childhood Clinical Mental Health Leadership Program to award grants to eligible entities to establish training institutes and centers of excellence for infant and early childhood clinical mental health.

“(b) Eligible entities—To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an entity shall—

“(1) be—

“(A) an institution of higher education as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965; or

“(B) be a hospital with affiliation with such an institution of higher education, or a State professional medical society or association of infant mental health demonstrating an affiliation or partnership with such an institution of higher education; and

“(2) submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

“(c) Use of grant—An entity shall use amounts received under a grant under this section to establish statewide training institutes or centers of excellence for licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, clinical psychologists, child psychiatrists, school psychologists, nurses, and developmental and behavioral pediatricians on infant and early childhood clinical mental health, with an emphasis on screening, assessment, service provision or referral, prevention, and treatment for infants and children who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing trauma, as well as prevention of secondary trauma, through—

“(1) the provision of community-based training and supervision in evidence-based assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, which may be conducted through partnership with qualified community-based organizations;

“(2) the development of graduate education training tracks;

“(3) the provision of scholarships and stipends, including to enhance recruitment from under-represented populations in the mental health workforce; and

“(4) the provision of mid-career training to develop the capacity of existing health practitioners.

“(d) Authorization of appropriations—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024.”

Sec. 204 Trauma-informed teaching and school leadership

(a)
Partnership grants— Section 202 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1022a) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (b)(6)—
(A)
by redesignating subparagraphs (H) through (K) as subparagraphs (I) through (L), respectively; and
(B)
by inserting after subparagraph (G) the following:

“(H) how the partnership will prepare general education and special education teachers, including early childhood educators, to support positive learning outcomes and social and emotional development for students who have experienced trauma (including students who are involved in the foster care or juvenile justice systems or runaway or homeless youth) and in alternative education settings in which high populations of youth with trauma exposure may learn (including settings for correctional education, juvenile justice, pregnant and parenting students, or youth who have re-entered school after a period of absence due to dropping out);”

(2)
in subsection (d)(1)(A)(i)—
(A)
in subclause (II), by striking “and” after the semicolon;
(B)
by redesignating subclause (III) as subclause (IV); and
(C)
by inserting after subclause (II) the following:

“(III) such teachers, including early childhood educators, to adopt evidence-based approaches for improving behavior (such as positive behavior interventions and supports and restorative justice), supporting social and emotional learning, mitigating the effects of trauma, improving the learning environment in the school, preventing secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout, and for alternatives to suspensions, expulsions, corporal punishment, referrals to law enforcement, and other actions that remove students from the learning environment; and”

(3)
in subsection (d), by adding at the end the following:

“(7) Trauma-informed practice and work in alternative education settings—Developing the teaching skills of prospective and, as applicable, new, early childhood, elementary school, and secondary school teachers to adopt evidence-based trauma-informed teaching strategies—

“(A) to—

“(i) recognize the signs of trauma and its impact on learning;

“(ii) maximize student engagement and promote the social and emotional development of students; and

“(iii) implement alternative practices to suspension and expulsion that do not remove students from the learning environment; and

“(B) including programs training teachers, including early childhood educators, to work with students with exposure to traumatic events (including students involved in the foster care or juvenile justice systems or runaway and homeless youth) and in alternative academic settings for youth unable to participate in a traditional public school program in which high populations of students with trauma exposure may learn (such as students involved in the foster care or juvenile justice systems, pregnant and parenting students, runaway and homeless students, and other youth who have re-entered school after a period of absence due to dropping out).”

(b)
Administrative provisions— Section 203(b)(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1022b(b)(2)) is amended—
(1)
in subparagraph (A), by striking “and” after the semicolon;
(2)
in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
(3)
by adding at the end the following:

“(C) to eligible partnerships that have a high-quality proposal for trauma training programs for general education and special education teachers, including early childhood educators.”

(c)
Grants for the development of leadership programs— Section 202(f)(1)(B) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1022a(f)(1)(B)) is amended—
(1)
in clause (v), by striking “and” at the end;
(2)
in clause (vi), by striking the period and inserting “; and”; and
(3)
by adding at the end the following:

“(vii) identify students who have experienced trauma and connect those students with appropriate school-based or community-based interventions and services.”

Sec. 205 Tools for front-line providers

Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in coordination with appropriate stakeholders with subject matter expertise which may include the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, shall carry out activities to develop accessible and easily understandable toolkits for use by front-line service providers (including teachers, early childhood educators, school leaders, mentors, social workers, counselors, faith leaders, first responders, kinship caregivers) for appropriately identifying, responding to, and supporting infants, children, and youth, and their families, as appropriate, who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing trauma. Front-line service providers may also include programs focused on adults whose children or who themselves have experienced trauma, including programs related to Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood, child support, and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. Such toolkits shall incorporate best practices developed under section 7132(d) of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (Public Law 115–271), and include actions to build a safe, stable, and nurturing environment for the infants, children, and youth served in those settings, capacity building, and strategies for addressing the impact of secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout among such front-line service providers.

Sec. 206 Children Exposed to Violence Initiative

Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10101) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“OO Children exposed to violence and addiction initiative

“3051. Grants to identify and support children exposed to violence and substance use

“(a) In general—The Attorney General may make grants to States, units of local government, Indian tribes and tribal organizations (as such terms are defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination Act and Education Assistance Act), and nonprofit organizations to reduce violence and substance use by preventing exposure to trauma, violence, or substance use and identifying and supporting infants, children, and youth, and their families, as appropriate, exposed to trauma, violence, or substance use.

“(b) Use of funds—A grant under subsection (a) may be used to implement trauma-informed policies and practices that support infants, children, youth, and their families, as appropriate, by—

“(1) building public awareness and education, and improving policies and practices;

“(2) providing training, tools and resources to develop the skills and capacity of parents (including foster parents), adult guardians, and professionals who interact directly with infants, children, and youth, and their families, as appropriate, in an organized or professional setting, including through the best practices developed under section 7132(d) of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (Public Law 115–271); and

“(3) providing technical assistance to communities, organizations, and public agencies on how to prevent and mitigate the impact of exposure to trauma, violence, and substance use.

“(c) Authorization of appropriations—There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $11,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024.”

Sec. 207 Establishment of law enforcement child and youth trauma coordinating center

(a)
Establishment of center—
(1)
In general— The Attorney General shall establish a National Law Enforcement Child and Youth Trauma Coordinating Center (referred to in this section as the “Center”) to provide assistance to adult- and juvenile-serving State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies (including those operated by Indian tribes and tribal organizations as such terms are defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination Act and Education Assistance Act) in interacting with infants, children, and youth who have been exposed to violence or other trauma, and their families as appropriate.
(2)
Age range— The Center shall determine the age range of infants, children, and youth to be covered by the activities of the Center.
(b)
Duties— The Center shall provide assistance to adult- and juvenile-serving State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies by—
(1)
disseminating information on the best practices for law enforcement officers, which may include best practices based on evidence-based and evidence-informed models from programs of the Department of Justice and the Office of Justice Services of the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the best practices developed under section 7132(d) of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (Public Law 115–271), such as—
(A)
models developed in partnership with national law enforcement organizations, Indian tribes, or clinical researchers; and
(B)
models that include—
(i)
trauma-informed approaches to conflict resolution, information gathering, forensic interviewing, de-escalation, and crisis intervention training;
(ii)
early interventions that link child and youth witnesses and victims, and their families as appropriate, to age-appropriate trauma-informed services; and
(iii)
preventing and supporting officers who experience secondary trauma;
(2)
providing professional training and technical assistance; and
(3)
awarding grants under subsection (c).
(c)
Grant program—
(1)
In general— The Attorney General, acting through the Center, may award grants to State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies or to multi-disciplinary consortia to—
(A)
enhance the awareness of best practices for trauma-informed responses to infants, children, and youth who have been exposed to violence or other trauma, and their families as appropriate; and
(B)
provide professional training and technical assistance in implementing the best practices described in subparagraph (A).
(2)
Application— Any State, local, or tribal law enforcement agency seeking a grant under this subsection shall submit an application to the Attorney General at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Attorney General may require.
(3)
Use of funds— A grant awarded under this subsection may be used to—
(A)
provide training to law enforcement officers on best practices, including how to identify and appropriately respond to early signs of trauma and violence exposure when interacting with infants, children, and youth, and their families, as appropriate; and
(B)
establish, operate, and evaluate a referral and partnership program with trauma-informed clinical mental health, substance use, health care, or social service professionals in the community in which the law enforcement agency serves.
(d)
Authorization of appropriations— There are authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney General—
(1)
$6,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024 to award grants under subsection (c); and
(2)
$2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024 for other activities of the Center.

Sec. 208 National Institutes of Health report on trauma

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institutes of Health shall submit to Congress a report on the activities of the National Institutes of Health with respect to trauma (including trauma that stems from child abuse, exposure to violence, addiction and substance use, and toxic stress) and the implications of trauma for infants, children, and youth, and their families, as appropriate. Such report shall include—
(1)
the comprehensive research agenda of the National Institutes of Health with respect to trauma;
(2)
the capacity, expertise, and review mechanisms of the National Institutes of Health with respect to the evaluation and examination of research proposals related to child trauma, including coordination across institutes and centers and inclusion of trauma impact statements within relevant grants focused on serving children and families;
(3)
the relevance of trauma to other diseases, outcomes, and domains;
(4)
strategies to link and analyze data from multiple independent sources, including child welfare, health care (including mental health care), law enforcement, and education systems, to enhance research efforts and improve health outcomes;
(5)
the efficacy of existing interventions, including clinical treatment methods, child- and family-focused prevention models, and community-based approaches, in mitigating the effects of experiencing trauma and improving health and societal outcomes; and
(6)
identification of gaps in understanding in the field of trauma and areas of greatest need for further research related to trauma.