FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 24, 2025
CONTACT: Jin Choi
Barragán, Salinas, Padilla, Gallego Introduce Mental Health for Latinos Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the nation observes Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, Representatives Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.-44) and Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.-02), along with U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), introduced the Mental Health for Latinos Act, legislation to improve mental health outcomes among Latino and Hispanic communities.
Barriers to mental health care within Latino communities cause far too many individuals to suffer in silence. Only 47.4 percent of Hispanic adults ages 18 or older with any mental illness received services in 2023. Between 2010 and 2020, the suicide rate among male Hispanic adults (ages 20 to 64) increased by 35.7 percent, and the rate among women specifically increased by 40.6 percent. Even those who can access services rarely receive the effective, culturally competent care they need.
“This legislation is a first step to breaking down the unique barriers that prevent our Latino communities from receiving the help they need. Mental health is a challenge that many Americans bear silently — but they shouldn’t have to,” said Representative Barragán. “Ensuring that our communities in need receive specialized resources and outreach will help break down cultural stigmas and language barriers that prevent Americans from accessing mental health care that is essential to their overall health and well-being.”
“As Co-Chair of the bipartisan Mental Health Caucus and a proud Latina, I know how crucial it is to end the stigma around mental health care and improve outcomes and access to care among Latino communities,” said Representative Salinas. “I’ve been on the other end of a phone call with someone who is having a mental health crisis. I see how important it is for people not only to have access to mental health care, but also to be able to get the culturally competent care that meets them where they are.”
“No one should suffer in silence,” said Senator Padilla. “We need to break down the barriers that keep Latinos from getting the mental health care they need, when stigma and language access can make it even harder to ask for help. The Mental Health for Latinos Act would improve mental health outcomes by reducing stigma in the Latino community and encouraging people to reach out for help. As we tackle the rise in mental health challenges, it’s critical that we acknowledge the distinct needs of our diverse communities and develop solutions that meet people where they are.”
“Too many Latinos, especially men, shy away from seeking help because they’re afraid of being judged, and that only makes the problem worse. This issue is personal to me. This bill would help break the stigma around mental health and make it easier to get care from people who actually understand our community. I want everyone to know that they’re not alone and that getting help is not a weakness,” said Senator Gallego.
Informed and culturally competent resources, education materials, and outreach programs are vital to addressing the mental health crisis. The Mental Health for Latinos Act recognizes the unique mental health challenges of the Latino community, aiming to reduce cultural stigma and rectify health care disparities that prevent people from receiving lifesaving mental health services. As our nation confronts a worsening mental health crisis, this critical legislation reinforces the message that there is zero shame in asking for help and that seeking support is a sign of strength.
Specifically, the bill would:
- Require the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to develop and implement an outreach and education strategy to promote behavioral and mental health among the Latino and Hispanic populations that:
- Meets diverse cultural and language needs and is developmentally and age-appropriate,
- Increases awareness of symptoms of mental illnesses,
- Provides information on evidence-based, culturally and linguistically appropriate adapted interventions and treatments,
- Ensures full participation of community members, and
- Uses a comprehensive public health approach to promoting behavioral health by focusing on the intersection between behavioral and physical health.
- Require SAMHSA to report annually to Congress on the extent to which the strategy improved behavioral and mental health outcomes among these populations.
The Mental Health for Latinos Act is endorsed by organizations including American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, National Alliance on Mental Illness, UnidosUS, American Mental Health Counselors Association, Inseparable, American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work, Psychotherapy Action Network (PsiAN), Global Alliance for Behavioral Health & Social Justice, American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP), American Group Psychotherapy Association, Epilepsy Foundation of America, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, the International Society for Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses (ISPN), and the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF).
A one-pager on the bill is available here.
Full text of the bill is available here.
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