{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=c7bbe8d8-dfc6-4aa4-93b6-440b04a13b51", "Portman Supports Measures to Improve Behavioral Health System", "2013-11-20", "2013", "2013-11", "Republican", "House", "OH", "Rob Portman", "P000449", "www.portman.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 In recent weeks, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) has thrown his support behind several measures to improve the delivery and coordination of behavioral health services.\r\nLast week, Portman introduced the Behavioral Health Information Technology Coordination Act (S. 1685) to ensure mental health providers are part of the nation\u2019s electronic medical records network.\u00a0 In addition, the bill would add mental health professionals to legislation passed in 2009 to assist healthcare providers in adopting health-information technology.\u00a0\r\n\u201cDue to a disconnect between our nation\u2019s doctors and mental health care professionals, Americans suffering from mental illness are among the nation\u2019s most underserved and overlooked populations,\u201d said Portman.\u00a0 \u201cBy fixing an oversight in the system and making Health IT the bedrock to fully integrated care, my bill will enhance care and treatment for the mentally ill and put them on a path to lead healthy and productive lives.\u201d\r\n\u201cThe Ohio Council of Behavioral Health & Family Services Providers is very excited and appreciative of Senator Portman\u2019s introduction of the Behavioral Health IT Coordination Act (S. 1685),\u201d said Hubert Wirtz, CEO, The Ohio Council of Behavioral Health & Family Services Providers.\u00a0 \u201cAdequate investment in health care information technology is critical to enabling mental health and addiction providers to implement systems that help them improve care coordination, provide quality care, measure outcomes and enable continuity of care between primary care, mental health and addiction services.\u00a0 Without this, community behavioral health providers cannot adequately track outcomes, engage in wellness management, and engage in cost-effective chronic disease prevention and recovery.\u201d\r\nCongressman Tim Murphy (R-PA-18) has introduced bipartisan companion legislation in the House of Representatives. The Behavioral Health Information Technology Act (H.R. 2957) has been endorsed by the American Psychological Association, Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness, National Association of Counties, National Association of County Behavioral Health Directors, National Association of Social Workers, National Council for Behavioral Health, The Jewish Federations of North America, and Netsmart Technologies.\r\nRead a one-pager here.\r\nLast week, Portman also joined a bipartisan letter to President Obama urging him to take action to strengthen our mental health system, by enhancing community mental health services for the one in four Americans living with mental health disorders.\u00a0 In the letter, Portman encourages the President to expand upon the good work done by President Kennedy when he signed the Community Mental Health Act into law 50 years ago and established comprehensive community mental health centers throughout the country.\u00a0 Since then, however, mental health services have been jeopardized by budget cuts.\u00a0 In order to strengthen our community mental health system, we must ensure that mental health services can be adequately reimbursed in the community, just as federally qualified health centers are reimbursed.\u00a0 Therefore, Portman and his colleagues urge President Obama to support moving forward with legislation by the end of the year to establish a substantial demonstration project based on the bipartisan Excellence in Mental Health Act (S.264), which has been introduced in the House and the Senate.\u00a0\r\nThe letter was signed by 30 Senators and can be read in its entirety here.\r\nIn October, Portman cosponsored the Begich-Ayotte Mental Health First Aid Act (S. 153) that would provide support for training programs to help the public identify, understand, and address crisis situations safely.\u00a0 The measure also calls for protocols to increase familiarity with mental health services available in local communities, and it would provide grants for mental health awareness training programs for groups of individuals such as teachers, first responders, police officers, school and college administrators, veterans, and nurses.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=c7bbe8d8-dfc6-4aa4-93b6-440b04a13b51"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0222513228654861, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}