All too often, I find myself writing about how mental health care fails in the U.S. It’s an easy story to write — during hard economic times, health care (especially for the poor and indigent) often takes a big hit from the government.

So it’s always refreshing to write a different story. Especially one where the feds step up and fund not just a good idea, but a great one.

The hero in this instance is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the funding mechanism is the Affordable Care Act’s Prevention and Public Health Fund. Forty-three agencies share in the $26.2 million booty (most receiving about $500,000). The goal of the funding? To help better integrate primary care into the mental health services they offer.

Yes, you heard me right — helping poor people who have a mental disorder get proper health care, sometimes in the same facility where they get their mental health treatment.

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