[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6075 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6075
To expand and improve mental health care and reintegration programs for
members of the National Guard and Reserve, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 15, 2008
Mr. Kennedy (for himself, Mr. Allen, Mr. Kuhl of New York, Mr.
McGovern, Mr. Markey, Mr. Bishop of New York, and Ms. Moore of
Wisconsin) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To expand and improve mental health care and reintegration programs for
members of the National Guard and Reserve, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Guard and Reserve Mental
Health Access Act of 2008''.
SEC. 2. IMPLEMENTATION OF YELLOW RIBBON REINTEGRATION PROGRAM FOR
MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE.
(a) Deadline for Implementation.--The Secretary of Defense shall
establish the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program for members of the
National Guard and Reserve and their families required by section 582
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public
Law 110-181; 122 Stat. 122; 10 U.S.C. 10101 note) by not later than 180
days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(b) Report on Implementation of Program.--
(1) Report required.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of
Defense for Personnel and Readiness shall submit to the
Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on
Armed Services of the House of Representatives a report on the
implementation of the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program.
(2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
(A) A description and assessment of the
implementation of the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration
Program as of the date of the report.
(B) Such recommendations as the Under Secretary
considers appropriate for legislative or administration
action to improve the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration
Program.
(C) A description of any additional resources
required to assure the full implementation of the
Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program.
SEC. 3. JOINT PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH PROGRAM.
(a) Program Required.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall, acting
through the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, carry out a
program for the purposes as follows:
(A) To improve access to psychological health care
and services for members of the National Guard and
their families.
(B) To improve coordination among the components of
the Department of Defense in the provision of
psychological health care to members of the National
Guard during their transition from active duty in the
Armed Force to civilian life.
(C) To coordinate and oversee efforts of the
Department of Defense to assist members of the National
Guard with mental illness and members of the National
Guard with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) post-
deployment.
(2) Designation of program.--The program under this section
shall be known as the ``Joint Psychological Health Program''
(in this section referred to as the ``Program'').
(b) Directors of Psychological Health.--
(1) In general.--In carrying out the Program, the Chief of
the National Guard Bureau shall assign within the National
Guard Bureau two individuals to positions as follows:
(A) Director of Psychological Health of the Army
National Guard of the United States.
(B) Director of Psychological Health of the Air
National Guard of the United States.
(2) Qualifications.--Each individual assigned to a position
under paragraph (1) shall have such qualifications and
expertise as the Chief of the National Guard Bureau considers
appropriate for such position.
(3) Duties.--A Director of Psychological Health under
paragraph (1) shall carry out such duties with respect to the
component of the National Guard concerned as are provided by
law or by the Chief of the National Guard Bureau.
(c) Program Elements.--
(1) State networks of psychological health professionals.--
The Program shall consist of a network of psychological health
professionals in each State and Territory, the District of
Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in order to carry
out programs and activities for the purposes of the Program.
(2) Directors.--
(A) In general.--Each network of psychological
health professionals established pursuant to paragraph
(1) for a State or Territory, the District of Columbia,
or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico shall be overseen
and coordinated for the purposes of the Program by a
Director who shall be selected by the Chief of the
National Guard Bureau from among individuals who meet
such psychology licensure or certification requirements
as the Chief of the National Guard Bureau considers
appropriate.
(B) Contract position.--An individual selected to
serve as a Director under paragraph (1) shall serve as
a Director pursuant to a contract entered into by such
individual for purposes of the Program.
(C) Duties.--Each Director under this paragraph
shall have the duties as follows:
(i) To coordinate and oversee programs and
activities under the Program in the
jurisdiction concerned.
(ii) To work with applicable Federal,
State, and community agencies to develop and
implement a comprehensive plan for responding
to the psychological needs of members of the
National Guard and their families for the
purposes of the Program.
(iii) To develop, coordinate, and oversee
programs and activities to inform members of
the National Guard and their families on how to
access behavioral health services.
(iv) To develop, coordinate, and oversee
programs and activities of education and
training for leadership of the National Guard
on matters relating to the psychological health
of members of the National Guard.
(v) To develop, coordinate, and oversee
programs and activities to assist members of
the National Guard and their families in
building psychological fitness and resilience
while dispelling the stigma associated with
seeking and obtaining mental health services.
(vi) To develop, coordinate, and oversee
programs and activities to coordinate
psychological care for members of the National
Guard during their transition from Warrior
Transitions Units (WTUs) to their local
communities.
(vii) To improve access of members of the
National Guard and their families to
psychological care through coordination with
appropriate State agencies and community-based
behavioral health services providers.
(viii) To develop and implement assessments
of the resource needs of community-based
behavior health service providers in order to
provide members of the National Guard and their
families with the behavioral health services
they require.
(ix) To coordinate with other psychological
health components of and for the reserve
components of the Armed Forces.
(x) To coordinate and oversee
implementation of other Department of Defense
initiatives to ensure that members of the
National Guard and their families are aware of
an informed about the psychological health
initiatives of the Department of Defense.
(xi) To participate in national and
regional work groups developing programs and
activities to address the psychological needs
of members of the National Guard and their
families.
(xii) To conduct outreach to and education
for families of members of the National Guard
on recognition of mental health problems,
including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
and other mental health problems, in members of
the National Guard.
(3) National guard psychological health council.--
(A) In general.--The Chief of the National Guard
Bureau shall establish for the purposes of the Program
a council to be known as the ``National Guard
Psychological Health Council''.
(B) Membership.--The members of the National Guard
Psychological Health Council shall be the Directors of
Psychological Health assigned under subsection (b) and
the Directors of Psychological Health under paragraph
(2).
(C) Organization.--The National Guard Psychological
Health Council may carry out its duties on a national
or regional basis as considered appropriate by the
Council.
(D) Duties.--The National Guard Psychological
Health Council shall have the following duties:
(i) To oversee and coordinate the
development of the Program and any programs and
activities to be carried out under the Program.
(ii) To ensure consistency nationally in
the programs and activities to be carried out
under the Program.
(iii) To act as advisors to the Chief of
the National Guard Bureau for all matters
relating to the psychological needs of members
of the National Guard and their families.
(iv) To ensure the dissemination of best
practices in behavioral health care services to
providers of behavioral health care services to
members of the National Guard and their
families.
(v) To develop uniform standards for
measuring success in the provision of
behavioral health care services to members of
the National Guard and their families.
(4) Collaboration.--
(A) In general.--The National Guard Bureau and the
Department of Defense shall work collaboratively in
implementing and carrying out the Program
(B) Other collaboration.--In carrying out programs
and activities under the Program, the Directors of
Psychological Health assigned under subsection (b) and
the Directors of Psychological Health under paragraph
(2) shall work with the following:
(i) The Department of Veterans Affairs.
(ii) The Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration of the Department of
Health and Human Services.
(iii) Appropriate State agencies, including
State mental health agencies and State veterans
agencies.
(d) Territory Defined.--In this section, the term ``Territory'' has
the meaning given that term in section 101(1) of title 32, United
States Code.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is hereby authorized to
be appropriated for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2009 for
operation and maintenance, $8,035,000, which shall be available for the
Joint Psychological Health Program under this section in that fiscal
year.
SEC. 4. PILOT PROGRAMS ON PRE-DEPLOYMENT AND POST-DEPLOYMENT TELEMENTAL
HEALTH SERVICES FOR MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD AND
RESERVE.
(a) Pilot Programs Required.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs shall jointly carry out one or more pilot
programs on the provision of mental health services to members
of the National Guard and Reserve, both before and after
deployment, through telemental health technologies in order to
assess the feasability and advisability of utilizing of such
technologies for the provision of mental health services to
member of the National Guard and Reserve both before and after
deployment.
(2) Discharge with respect to national guard.--Each pilot
program carried out under this section with respect to members
of the National Guard shall be carried out in consultation with
the Chief of the National Guard Bureau.
(3) Coordination.--The Secretary of Defense and the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out the pilot
programs in coordination with the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration of the Department of Health and
Human Services and such other departments and agencies of the
Federal Government as the Secretaries consider appropriate to
assure quality in the provision of mental health services to
members of the National Guard and Reserve under the pilot
programs.
(b) Program Requirements.--
(1) Locations.--
(A) In general.--The pilot programs under this
section shall be carried out in such location or
locations as the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs shall jointly select.
(B) Emphasis on services to members in rural
areas.--In selecting locations for pilot programs, the
Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall afford an emphasis to locations in which
services under the pilot programs are provided to
members of the National Guard and Reserve residing in a
rural area.
(2) Utilization of evidence-based practices.--Each pilot
program under this section shall utilize telemental health
technologies that have proven effective in the provision of
mental health services to members of the Armed Forces.
(c) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit to Congress
a report on the pilot programs carried out under this section.
(2) Elements.--The report under paragraph (1) shall
including a description of each pilot program carried out under
this section, including--
(A) the types of mental health services provided;
(B) the types of telemental health technologies
utilized in providing such services;
(C) the number of members of the National Guard and
Reserve provided such services; and
(D) the outcomes for members of the National Guard
and Reserve in receiving such services.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is hereby authorized to
be appropriated for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2009 for
operation and maintenance, $2,005,000, to carry out pilot programs
under this section in such fiscal year.
SEC. 5. ANTI-STIGMA CAMPAIGN REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AMONG
MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE RETURNING FROM
DEPLOYMENT AND THEIR FAMILIES.
(a) Campaign Required.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs shall jointly carry out a program of
outreach intended to reduce the stigma among members of the
National Guard and Reserve returning from deployment, and their
families, associated with seeking and obtaining mental health
services.
(2) Discharge with respect to national guard.--The campaign
carried out under this section with respect to members of the
National Guard shall be carried out in consultation with the
Chief of the National Guard Bureau.
(3) Coordination.--The Secretary of Defense and the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out the campaign in
coordination with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human
Services.
(b) Elements.--In carrying out the campaign required by this
section, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall carry out such programs and activities (including the award of
contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements with appropriate
entities) as the Secretaries consider appropriate to reduce the stigma
among members of the National Guard and Reserve returning from
deployment, and their families, associated with seeking and obtaining
mental health services.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is hereby authorized to
be appropriated for fiscal year 2009, $2,000,000, to carry out this
section.
SEC. 6. ASSIGNMENT OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDINATORS TO ASSIST MEMBERS
OF THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE RETURNING FROM
DEPLOYMENT.
As part of the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program for members of
the National Guard and Reserve and their families under section 582 of
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law
110-181; 122 Stat. 122; 10 U.S.C. 10101 note), the Secretary of Defense
shall assign community outreach coordinators based out of the Office of
Reintegration Program's State Family Assistance Centers for the purpose
of--
(1) educating local school districts, religious
organizations, business groups, and other community groups as
necessary on military culture, the stresses of deployment,
hardships on families and other such topics related to the
deployment of members of the National Guard and Reserve and the
reintegration of members returning from deployment;
(2) conducting education programs through special events
designed for specific target community groups, such as
teachers, clergy, and employers; and
(3) educating these community members on assistance
services offered to members of the National Guard and Reserve
and their families through the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration
Program.
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