About

The Congressional Bipartisan Mental Health Caucus serves as a bipartisan forum where Members of Congress and their staff can work together to raise awareness and find solutions to the mental and behavioral health crisis in America.

Chaired by Reps. Andrea Salinas (D-OR), Don Bacon (R-NE), Don Beyer (D-VA), and Tony Gonzales (R-TX), the Caucus consists of Members from both sides of the aisle. For a full list of Mental Health Caucus Members, click here.

Currently in her second term, Rep. Salinas has prioritized mental health and addiction issues since day one. Notably, she introduced the HOPE and Mental Wellbeing Act, which would provide three free behavioral health visits per year for Medicare and Medicaid recipients, as well as two bills that would expand access to peer support programs for mental health and substance use issues. In February 2023, Rep. Salinas announced her Mental Health Monday initiative, a weekly program that shines a spotlight on mental health. Through floor speeches, social media posts, and messages sent directly to Oregonians, Rep. Salinas is working to ensure that mental health remains part of the national dialogue–and a top priority for Congress. She is also a co-founder of the bipartisan Rural Health Caucus that seeks to address health care gaps in rural communities, especially related to mental health care.

Rep. Beyer is a Co-Chair of the Mental Health Caucus’ Suicide Prevention Task Force and author of H.R. 3759, the Barriers to Suicide Act, which requires the Department of Transportation to establish a program to facilitate the installation of evidence-based suicide deterrents on bridges, including suicide prevention nets and barriers. In October 2020, the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, on which he serves as the Senior House Democrat, released a report on How the Coronavirus Is Worsening America’s Mental Health Crisis, which helped to provide Members of Congress with an understanding of the mental health challenges associated with the pandemic. Congressman Beyer also leads an annual appropriations letter on bipartisan suicide prevention programs, which supports funding for 988, and suicide prevention programs at the CDC and SAMHSA.

Reps. Don Bacon and Tony Gonzales joined Reps. Salinas and Beyer as Co-Chairs during the 119th Congress.