S. 1689 — Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act of 2025

This section defines, for purposes of the Act, the term AANHPI as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander and the term Secretary as the Secretary of Health and Human Services (except as otherwise specified).

This section states congressional findings on the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community, including its status as one of the fastest-growing U.S. population groups representing more than 70 ethnicities and 100 languages or dialects; a mental health crisis marked by the lowest service utilization rates among racial or ethnic groups (35% of Asian adults with challenges treated in 2023) and suicide as the leading cause of death for AANHPI youth ages 10-24 from 2018-2023; barriers such as stigma, limited culturally and linguistically appropriate services, and insufficient research; the need to disaggregate AANHPI data for targeted solutions; and the necessity of investments in outreach, services, workforce representation, and data collection.

This section establishes a national outreach and education strategy to promote behavioral health and reduce stigma associated with mental health and substance use disorders among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) populations. The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and in coordination with the Directors of the Office of Minority Health, National Institutes of Health, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—and in consultation with relevant advocacy and behavioral health organizations—must develop and implement the strategy to (1) address diverse cultural and language needs of AANHPI populations; (2) be developmentally and age-appropriate; (3) raise awareness of common mental illness symptoms within AANHPI subgroups (e.g., by gender, age, sexual orientation, culture, or ethnicity); (4) provide publicly accessible information on evidence-based, culturally and linguistically appropriate interventions and treatments; (5) engage AANHPI consumers and communities in materials development; and (6) promote a comprehensive public health approach integrating behavioral and physical health. Beginning one year after enactment and annually thereafter, the Secretary must submit to Congress and publicly release a report on the strategy's impact on AANHPI awareness of such disorders. The section authorizes $3 million for each of FY2026 through FY2030.

This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and in coordination with the directors of the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Office of Minority Health, to conduct a systematic review of behavioral health among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) youth—including assessments of the prevalence, risk factors, and root causes of mental health challenges, substance misuse, and related disorders; suicide and overdose statistics; and treatment receipt. The section further requires HHS to submit a report on the review's findings to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and to make it publicly available, not later than one year after enactment of this Act—with the report identifying barriers to behavioral health services, root causes, evidence-based actions for the Secretary, legislative and administrative recommendations, and other findings as appropriate; requires data disaggregation by specified demographics consistent with privacy laws; and authorizes $1.5 million for FY2026.

This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and in coordination with specified agencies, to conduct a systematic review of strategies to increase the behavioral health workforce that identifies as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI). The review must assess the total number of such workers, their licenses, practice locations and employers, cultural and linguistic capabilities, barriers to entering the workforce or education programs, and participation in federal workforce programs. The section further requires the Secretary to submit a report on the review's findings to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and to make it publicly available, not later than one year after enactment of this Act. The report must identify AANHPI behavioral health workers' awareness of barriers to care faced by AANHPI individuals (e.g., stigma, limited English proficiency, lack of insurance); provide recommendations to increase such workers and improve their enrollment in education and training programs; and include other recommendations as appropriate. Data in the review and report must be disaggregated by race, ethnicity, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, geographic region, disability status, and other factors, consistent with privacy laws; and authorizes $1,500,000 for FY2026 to carry out this section.