The White House issued an executive order titled: Executive Order on Saving Lives Through Increased Support For Mental- and Behavioral-Health Needs, which orders the creation of a Coronavirus Mental Health Working Group, co-chaired by the HHS Secretary and Brooke Rollins, Acting Director of the Domestic Policy Council, the submission of a plan by the working group for addressing mental health impacts of COVID-19, and calls for agencies to maximize support, including safe in-person services, for Americans in need of behavioral health treatment.
The Working Group, which will focus particularly on the mental health needs of vulnerable populations affected by the pandemic, will evaluate current strategies for assessing the mental health needs of those populations and will submit an implementation plan by November 19, 2020.
The executive order also directs agency heads to encourage current mental health, medical, and related grantees to implement mental health and suicide prevention policies, and to award grants to community organizations to enhance mental health and suicide prevention services.