President Joe Biden signed a gun violence bill that allocated $1 billion to grant programs, with the goal of helping schools hire more mental health workers. The U.S. Department of Education building in Washington is where this decision was made.
https://www.ocregister.com/2025/04/30/trump-education-mental-health/The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) held its annual Day on the Hill event, where nearly 200 members met with Congress members and staffers to advocate for two key bills: the Save Healthcare Workers Act and the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act. ENA President Ryan Oglesby emphasized the importance of protecting healthcare workers from workplace violence and providing resources for their mental health and well-being. The association has been a strong advocate for these issues since 1999, with a focus on making verbal and physical assault against healthcare workers a federal offense. ENA also supports funding for programs that help healthcare professionals cope with job-related stress and burnout, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/workplace-violence-nurse-well-being-top-ena-priorities-on-capitol-hill-302443305.htmlPsychotherapists are highlighting the benefits of journaling as a tool for emotional healing. Journaling helps manage emotions by providing clarity and calm through the act of writing. This simple practice allows individuals to express their feelings, offering a therapeutic outlet for those seeking mental well-being.
https://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloid/hyderabad-chronicle/the-write-path-towards-healing-1876051A four-year grant of nearly $1 million per year is being provided to PHC, Providence St. Patrick Hospital, Youth Homes Montana, and AWARE to expand and coordinate mental health and supportive services for youth and their families in Missoula. The goal is to improve collaboration among providers, reduce waiting times, and increase the number of youth kept in the community. The grant will support a crisis response unit at Providence St. Patrick Hospital, which has already served nearly 200 individuals in its first three months. Youth Homes Montana is creating a crisis care team and providing a crisis stabilization bed to support up to 25 youth in crisis annually. The grant aims to build a seamless continuum of care and prevent crises by addressing the needs of families early on.
https://www.kpax.com/news/missoula-county/missoula-providers-expand-improve-youth-crisis-services-with-federal-grantFunding for a Missouri program providing naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, is under threat due to a potential $56 million grant program being cut by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Missouri-Coordinating Overdose Response, Partnerships, & Support project (MO-CORPS), which supplies Narcan, could face consequences if the funding is eliminated. First responders' training coordinator Greg Boal at the Missouri Institute of Mental Health has expressed concerns about the potential impact on addiction treatment and overdose prevention efforts in the state.
https://krcgtv.com/news/local/funding-cuts-threaten-missouri-program-providing-narcanA 5-year-old boy was targeted by hate speech at his school in Oregon. The incident occurred when he reported racial slurs to his teacher, but the principal accused him of lying and expelled him. The school's Unified Mental Health Team has offered support to the child and his family, who were also called upon by the police after the parents tried to report the incident.
https://www.rawstory.com/racial-slurs-school/US Representative Delia Ramirez highlighted the struggles of veterans suffering from PTSD, depression, substance abuse, and self-harm due to inadequate staff training, long wait times, and weak continuity of care at a House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2025/04/30/veterans-suicide-staff-sergeant-parker-gordon-fox-grant-2025/6381746040032/A counseling program at Safe Harbor in New York found that women rescued from illicit massage parlors were often returned to their traffickers, highlighting the need for more effective support services. The organization's executive director, Cathy Easter, stated that her program has never been able to retain a survivor from one of these stings, emphasizing the challenge of providing long-term help to victims of human trafficking.
https://stltoday.com/news/state-regional/crime-courts/article_3de89bef-6705-5287-8d7e-5dc9751cbc43.htmlA US tech watchdog has called for a ban on AI companions powered by generative artificial intelligence, citing risks for minors. The warning comes as the use of these virtual friends or therapists has surged since ChatGPT's launch, with several startups developing apps that cater to individual tastes and needs.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/04/30/world/ai-companions-present-risks-for-young-users-us-watchdog-warns/2102508