February 7, 2023

President Joe Biden will use his second State of the Union address tonight to announce policies that expand upon existing mental health strategies for patients and healthcare workers.

The president is expected to announce the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s plan to offer healthcare organizations mental health resources to support workers. The Health and Human Services Department also plans to expand funding to recruit mental health workers from Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The administration cited a need for the initiatives in part due to nearly 54% of nurses and physicians experiencing burnout. In a White House fact sheet published Tuesday in advance of the speech, it also cited a behavioral health workforce shortage.

The State of the Union fact sheet is available online here.