Peer to Peer Mental Health Support Act

Key Points

• This bill creates a pilot program where states, local governments, and tribal organizations can compete for federal grants to set up peer mental health support programs in middle and high schools. The goal is to train students to recognize when their friends are struggling with mental health or substance use issues.
• Grant money can be used to train students, adult supervisors, and others to spot mental health problems early, respond to them, connect peers to professional help, and build resilience. All peer support activities must be overseen by a school-based mental health professional.
• Student privacy is protected under existing federal education privacy law (FERPA), ensuring that any records collected through the program are kept safe.
• The government must evaluate whether the program actually works, including tracking participation rates and measuring whether peer support helped connect students to professional mental health services. A report will be sent to Congress with the results.
• The entire program sunsets on September 30, 2029, giving it roughly four years to prove its value before Congress would need to renew it. Eligible applicants include states, territories, tribal organizations, and political subdivisions of states.