(a) Establishment

There is established in the Administration a Center for Mental Health Services (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Center”). The Center shall be headed by a Director (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Director”) appointed by the Secretary from among individuals with extensive experience or academic qualifications in the provision of mental health services or in the evaluation of mental health service systems.

(b) Duties

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The Director of the Center shall—

(1) design national goals and establish national priorities for—

(A) the prevention of mental illness; and

(B) the promotion of mental health;

(2) encourage and assist local entities and State agencies to achieve the goals and priorities described in paragraph (1);

(3) collaborate with the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health and the Chief Medical Officer, appointed under section 290aa(g) of this title, to ensure that, as appropriate, programs related to the prevention and treatment of mental illness and the promotion of mental health and recovery support are carried out in a manner that reflects the best available science and evidence-based practices, including culturally and linguistically appropriate services, as appropriate;

(4) collaborate with the Department of Education and the Department of Justice to develop programs to assist local communities in addressing violence among children and adolescents;

(5) develop and coordinate Federal prevention policies and programs and to assure increased focus on the prevention of mental illness and the promotion of mental health, including through programs that reduce risk and promote resiliency;

(6) in collaboration with the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, develop improved methods of treating individuals with mental health problems and improved methods of assisting the families of such individuals;

(7) administer the mental health services block grant program authorized in section 300x of this title;

(8) promote policies and programs at Federal, State, and local levels and in the private sector that foster independence, increase meaningful participation of individuals with mental illness in programs and activities of the Administration, and protect the legal rights of persons with mental illness, including carrying out the provisions of the Protection and Advocacy of Mentally Ill Individuals Act ¹ [42 U.S.C. 10801 et seq.];

(9) carry out the programs under part C; and

(10) carry out responsibilities for the Human Resource Development programs;

(11) conduct services-related assessments, including evaluations of the organization and financing of care, self-help and consumer-run programs, mental health economics, mental health service systems, rural mental health and tele-mental health, and improve the capacity of State to conduct evaluations of publicly funded mental health programs;

(12) disseminate mental health information, including evidence-based practices, to States, political subdivisions, educational agencies and institutions, treatment and prevention service providers, and the general public, including information concerning the practical application of research supported by the National Institute of Mental Health that is applicable to improving the delivery of services;

(13) provide technical assistance to public and private entities that are providers of mental health services;

(14) monitor and enforce obligations incurred by community mental health centers pursuant to the Community Mental Health Centers Act (as in effect prior to the repeal of such Act on August 13, 1981, by section 902(e)(2)(B) of Public Law 97-35 (95 Stat. 560));

(15) conduct surveys with respect to mental health, such as the National Reporting Program;

(16) assist States in improving their mental health data collection; and

(17) ensure the consistent documentation of the application of criteria when awarding grants and the ongoing oversight of grantees after such grants are awarded.

(c) Grants and contracts

In carrying out the duties established in subsection (b), the Director may make grants to and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with public and nonprofit private entities.