110 HR 6998 IH: Veterans Mental Health Training for First Responders and
U.S. House of Representatives
2008-09-23
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EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.This Act may be cited as the
Veterans Mental Health Training for First Responders and
Community Leaders Act of 2008
.
2.Pilot program on
education and training of emergency response providers on mental health issues
of veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom
(a)The Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall carry out a three-year pilot program under which the
Secretary shall provide education and training about covered mental health
conditions to emergency response providers and community leaders.
(b)Location of
pilot programThe Secretary shall carry out the pilot program
under this section in Veterans Integrated Service Networks selected by the
Secretary.
(c)For
purposes of this Act:
(1)The term covered mental health
conditions
means post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, traumatic
brain injury, and other mental health conditions identified by the Secretary as
being related to deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation
Enduring Freedom.
(2)The term emergency response
providers
means emergency public safety, fire, law enforcement,
emergency response, and emergency medical providers.
(3)The term community leaders
means judges, elected officials, officers of local veterans organizations, and
other individuals identified by the Secretary.
(d)Not later than 90 days after the last day of the pilot
program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report
on the pilot program. Such report shall include—
(1)the locations in which the Secretary
carries out the pilot program;
(2)the number of
individuals who participate in the program;
(3)the types of
activities carried out under the program;
(4)an assessment of
the effectiveness of the program; and
(5)the
recommendations of the Secretary with respect to the extension or expansion of
the program.