Bill Overview
Title: Help for Healing Communities Act
Description: This bill establishes a program through which the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration may award grants to support mental and behavioral health services for survivors of active shooter events and incidents of targeted violence. Eligible grant recipients include state, tribal, territorial, and local governments and nonprofits located in or serving a community that experienced an active shooter event or incident of targeted violence in the preceding fiscal year.
Sponsors: Rep. McBath, Lucy [D-GA-6]
Target Audience
Population: Survivors of active shooter events and targeted violence incidents
Estimated Size: 750000
- The bill aims to support survivors of active shooter events and incidents of targeted violence.
- These events can happen anywhere in the world, potentially impacting communities globally.
- The bill mentions grants for local governments and nonprofits, implying these entities will use funds to aid individuals affected by targeted violence.
Reasoning
- The Help for Healing Communities Act is designed to support a relatively well-defined group of individuals—those affected by active shooter events and targeted violence. Given the estimation that 750,000 in the U.S. might need assistance based on the frequency of these tragic events, the budget would likely need to prioritize communities with the most severe impacts or recent incidents.
- Not everyone in the population will be affected as the policy targets a specific group. We must understand the range of experiences within this population, from those directly affected to those in surrounding communities who might experience secondary trauma.
- The authenticity of simulating people who are completely unaffected is necessary, as it reflects the structure of real-world populations, where not everyone will benefit from a specific policy.
- We attempted to include a variety of perspectives from direct victims to community members involved indirectly, and those who are aware of such incidents but not directly affected.
Simulated Interviews
University student (El Paso, TX)
Age: 23 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think mental health support is crucial after such terrifying experiences.
- The policy sounds promising if it truly reaches us quickly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Small business owner (Las Vegas, NV)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Support programs for mental health would greatly help my employees and myself to cope.
- I'm concerned about how long it takes for these services to roll out.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
Retired (Dayton, OH)
Age: 62 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Any assistance that helps in recovery is welcome.
- It's vital these programs also support family members.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Teacher (Chicago, IL)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The fear of not being prepared is real, like, will this happen again?
- I wish they included preventive measures in the policy as well.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Farmer (Rural Oklahoma)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope rural areas are not overlooked as in many policies.
- The effects linger in the community long after the media moves on.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Nonprofit worker (Orlando, FL)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Such policies must survive long-term to make a real impact.
- We need consistent funding to actually plan and implement projects effectively.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Police officer (Baltimore, MD)
Age: 57 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's good to see mental health being considered more in public service roles.
- This policy must include first responders among its beneficiaries.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Tech worker (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 33 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope funds actually reach the people who need them, and not get bogged down in administration.
- It's crucial to involve survivors in shaping these programs.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Graduate student (New York City, NY)
Age: 28 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 20/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Policies need to be evidence-based and evaluated long-term.
- The rollout of support is crucial to genuinely help in mental recovery.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Social worker (Miami, FL)
Age: 46 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Long-term commitment is key to repairing these communities.
- The program must be adaptable to various community needs.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $500000000 (Low: $400000000, High: $600000000)
Year 2: $525000000 (Low: $420000000, High: $630000000)
Year 3: $551250000 (Low: $441000000, High: $661500000)
Year 5: $605250000 (Low: $484200000, High: $726300000)
Year 10: $757813000 (Low: $606250000, High: $909375000)
Year 100: $1173927035 (Low: $939141628, High: $1408712442)
Key Considerations
- The allocation and amount of grants need to be carefully managed to ensure they are used efficiently.
- There should be metrics in place to evaluate the effectiveness of funded programs.
- Collaboration with existing healthcare and support networks is crucial to minimizing overlapping services and ensuring broad assistance.