Bush revives bill to provide mental health services to families affected by police shootings

Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) revived a bill this week to provide mental health resources for families that have been affected by police violence.

The Helping Families Heal Act would establish grant programs within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to expand communities’ ability to fund a range of mental health programs to support victims, families and students impacted by police violence.

The legislation, first proposed by Bush in September 2022, was reintroduced on what would have been the 28th birthday of Michael Brown, a Black teenager who was killed by St. Louis police when he was 18.

His death became the catalyst for the Black Lives Matter movement. Though the white officer who killed Brown resigned from the department, a grand jury declined to indict him.

“Police violence steals precious lives like Mike Brown and so many others,” Bush said in a statement. “The trauma and grief that it leaves in its wake contributes to mental health crises and disproportionately harms surviving family members, Black and brown communities, and young people.”

The legislation, Bush added, was drafted with input from Brown’s mother, Lezley McSpadden.

“Mike Brown should still be alive, and today, on his 28th birthday, we are honoring him by reintroducing this vitally needed legislation,” said Bush, who spent more than 400 days protesting on the Ferguson Frontlines as a nurse and clergy member prior to her time in Congress.

The legislation would hire, train and dispatch mental health professionals and community health workers to provide services to anyone who suffered traumatic experiences or are in grief as a result of witnessing or experiencing law enforcement personnel violence.

This violence includes those who have been personally affected or those who have lost a friend, colleague or neighbor from such violence.

The legislation would also invest in programs to identify and treat intergenerational trauma as a result of witnessing or experiencing police violence.

Cosponsors of this legislation include Democratic Reps. Jamaal Bowman (N.Y.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.), Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (Ill.) and Rashida Tlaib (Mich.).

“The Helping Families Heal Act will provide more resources to address the devastating mental health consequences of police violence in our communities,” Bush said. “As we continue to work to end police brutality, mass incarceration, and cycles of trauma, we must also invest in the health, safety, and well-being of our communities. Together, we can help our families heal.”

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