Improving Mental Health Access from the Emergency Department Act of 2023

This bill creates a federal grant program to help emergency departments improve follow-up care for patients experiencing acute mental health crises. It authorizes $15 million annually (2024-2028) for competitive grants to qualifying hospitals with emergency departments that have mental health staff and partnerships with other providers. Grantees must use funds to expand coordination with regional services, increase psychiatric bed availability, implement telepsychiatry or crisis clinics in EDs, and establish proactive follow-up systems like phone check-ins. The program directly affects emergency departments and the patients they treat for mental health emergencies, aiming to reduce barriers to continued care after an ER visit.