National center for public mental health emergency preparedness

Title XXVIII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh–11 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

National center for public mental health emergency preparedness

2821.

National center for public mental health emergency preparedness

(a)

In general

(1)

Definition

For purposes of this subtitle, the term emergency health professionals means— (A)mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, counselors, psychiatric nurses, psychiatric aides and case managers, and group home staff; (B)public health and healthcare professionals, including skilled nursing and assisted living professionals; (C)emergency services personnel such as police, fire, and emergency medical services personnel; (D)county emergency managers; (E)school personnel such as teachers, counselors, and other personnel; (F)spiritual care professionals; (G)other disaster relief personnel; and (H)State and local government officials that are responsible for emergency preparedness. (2)

Establishment

The Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall establish the National Center for Public Mental Health Emergency Preparedness (referred to in this subtitle as the NCPMHEP) to address mental health concerns and coordinate and implement the development and delivery of mental health services in conjunction with the entities described in subsection (b)(2), in the event of bioterrorism or other public health emergency. (3)

Location; Director

(A)

In general

The Secretary shall offer to enter into a contract with an eligible institution to provide the location of the NCPMHEP. (B)

Eligible institution

To be an eligible institution under subparagraph (A), an institution shall— (i)be an academic medical center or similar institution that has prior experience conducting statewide trainings, and has a demonstrated record of leadership in national and international forums, in public mental health emergency preparedness, which may include disaster mental health preparedness; and (ii)submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. (C)

Director

The NCPMHEP shall be headed by a Director, who shall be appointed by the Secretary (referred to in this subtitle as the Director) from the eligible institution with which the Secretary contracts under subparagraph (A). (b)

Duties

The NCPMHEP shall— (1)prepare the Nation’s emergency health professionals to provide mental health services in the aftermath of catastrophic events, such as bioterrorism or other public health emergencies, that present psychological consequences for communities and individuals, particularly vulnerable populations such as older Americans, children, and persons with disabilities; and (2)coordinate with existing mental health preparedness and service delivery efforts of— (A)Federal agencies (such as the National Disaster Medical System, the Medical Reserve Corps, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and tribal nations); (B)State agencies (such as the State mental health authority, office of substance abuse services, public health authority, department of aging, and the office of mental retardation and developmental disabilities); (C)local agencies (such as county offices of mental health and substance abuse services, public health, child and family services, law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, school districts, and county emergency management); and (D)other governmental and nongovernmental disaster relief organizations. (c)

Panel of experts

(1)

In general

The Director, in consultation with State and local mental health and public health authorities, shall develop a mechanism to appoint a panel of experts for the NCPMHEP. (2)

Membership

(A)

In general

The panel of experts appointed under paragraph (1) shall be— (i)composed of individuals who are experts in their respective fields with extensive experience in public mental health emergency preparedness or service delivery, such as mental health professionals, researchers, spiritual care professionals, school counselors, and educators; and (ii)recommended by their respective national professional organizational or university to such a position. (B)

Terms

The members of the panel of experts appointed under paragraph (1)— (i)shall be appointed for a term of 3 years; and (ii)may be reappointed for an unlimited number of terms. (C)

Balance of composition

The Director shall ensure that the membership composition of the panel of experts fairly represents a balance of the type and number of experts described under subparagraph (A). (D)

Vacancies

(i)

In general

A vacancy on the panel of experts shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made and shall be subject to conditions which applied with respect to the original appointment. (ii)

Filling unexpired term

An individual chosen to fill a vacancy shall be appointed for the unexpired term of the member replaced. (iii)

Expiration of terms

The term of any member shall not expire before the date on which the member's successor takes office.

2822.

Training curricula for emergency health professionals

(a)

In general

The Director shall convene a Training Curricula Working Group from the panel of experts described in section 2821(c) to— (1)identify and review existing training curricula for emergency health professionals; (2)approve any such training curricula that satisfy practice and service delivery standards determined by the Training Curricula Working Group and that are evidence-based; and (3)make recommendations for, and participate in, the development of any additional training curricula, as determined necessary by the Training Curricula Working Group. (b)

Purpose of training curricula

The Training Curricula Working Group shall ensure that the training curricula approved by the NCPMHEP— (1)provide the knowledge and skills necessary to respond effectively to the psychological needs of affected individuals, relief personnel, and communities in the event of bioterrorism or other public health emergency; and (2)is used to build a trained network of emergency health professionals at the State and local levels. (c)

Content of training curricula

(1)

In general

The Training Curricula Working Group shall ensure that the training curricula approved by the NCPMHEP— (A)prepare emergency health professionals, in the event of bioterrorism or other public health emergency, for identifying symptoms of mental health distress, supplying immediate relief to keep affected persons safe, recognizing when to refer affected persons for further mental healthcare, understanding how and where to refer for such care, and other components as determined by the Director in consultation with the Training Curricula Working Group; (B)include training or informational material designed to educate and prepare State and local government officials, in the event of bioterrorism or other public health emergency, in coordinating and deploying mental health resources and services and in addressing other mental health needs, as determined by the Director in consultation with the Training Curricula Working Group; and (C)meet the diverse training needs of the range of emergency health professionals. (2)

Review of curricula

The Training Curricula Working Group shall routinely review existing training curricula and participate in the revision of the training curricula described under this section as necessary, taking into consideration recommendations made by the participants of the annual national forum under section 2825 and the Assessment Working Group described under section 2826. (d)

Training individuals

(1)

Field trainers

The Director, in consultation with the Training Curricula Working Group, shall develop a mechanism through which qualified individuals trained through the curricula approved by the NCPMHEP return to their communities to recruit and train others in their respective fields to serve on local emergency response teams. (2)

Field leaders

The Director, in consultation with the Training Curricula Working Group, shall develop a mechanism through which qualified individuals trained in curricula approved by the NCPMHEP return to their communities to provide expertise to State and local government agencies to mobilize the mental health infrastructure of such State or local agencies, including ensuring that mental health is a component of emergency preparedness and service delivery of such agencies. (3)

Qualifications

The individuals selected under paragraph (1) or (2) shall— (A)pass a designated evaluation, as developed by the Director in consultation with the Training Curricula Working Group; and (B)meet other qualifications as determined by the Director in consultation with the Training Curricula Working Group.

2823.

Use of registries to track trained emergency health professionals

(a)

In general

The Director, in consultation with the mental and public health authorities of each State, shall coordinate the use of existing emergency registries established to track medical and mental health volunteers across all fields and specifically to track the individuals in the State who have been trained using the curricula approved by the NCPMHEP under section 2822. The Director shall ensure that the data available through such registries and used to track such trained individuals will be recoverable and available in the event that such registries become inoperable. (b)

Use of registry

The tracking procedure under subsection (a) shall be used by the Secretary, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Governor of each State, for the recruitment and deployment of trained emergency health professionals in the event of bioterrorism or other public health emergency.

2824.

Clearinghouse for public mental health emergency preparedness and service delivery

(a)

In general

The Director shall establish and maintain a central clearinghouse of educational materials, guidelines, information, strategies, resources, and research on public mental health emergency preparedness and service delivery. (b)

Duties

The Director shall ensure that the clearinghouse— (1)enables emergency health professionals and other members of the public to increase their awareness and knowledge of public mental health emergency preparedness and service delivery; and (2)provides such users with access to a range of public mental health emergency resources and strategies to address their community’s unique circumstances and to improve their skills and capacities for addressing mental health problems in the event of bioterrorism or other public health emergency. (c)

Availability

The Director shall ensure that the clearinghouse— (1)is available on the Internet; (2)includes an interactive forum through which users' questions are addressed; (3)provides links to additional Government-sponsored or other relevant websites that supply information on public mental health emergency preparedness and service delivery; and (4)includes the training curricula approved by the NCPMHEP under section 2822. (d)

Clearinghouse working group

(1)

In general

The Director shall convene a Clearinghouse Working Group from the panel of experts described under section 2821(c) to— (A)evaluate the educational materials, guidelines, information, strategies, resources and research maintained in the clearinghouse to ensure empirical validity; and (B)offer technical assistance to users of the clearinghouse with respect to finding and selecting the information and resources available through the clearinghouse that would most effectively serve their community’s needs in preparing for, and delivering mental health services during, bioterrorism or other public health emergencies. (2)

Technical assistance

The technical assistance described under paragraph (1) shall include the use of information from the clearinghouse to provide consultation, direction, and guidance to State and local governments and public and private agencies on the development of public mental health emergency plans for activities involving preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery, and evaluation.

2825.

Annual national forum for public mental health emergency preparedness and service delivery

(a)

In general

The Director shall organize an annual national forum to address public mental health emergency preparedness and service delivery for emergency health professionals, researchers, scientists, and experts in public mental health emergency preparedness and service delivery, as well as personnel from relevant Federal, State, and local agencies and other governmental and nongovernmental organizations. (b)

Purpose of forum

The national forum shall provide the framework for bringing such individuals together to, based on evidence-based research and practice, identify and address gaps in science, practice, policy, and education, make recommendations for the revision of training curricula and for the enhancement of mental health interventions, as appropriate, and make other recommendations as necessary.

2826.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of public mental health emergency preparedness and service delivery efforts

(a)

In general

The Director shall convene an Assessment Working Group from the panel of experts described in section 2821(c) to evaluate the effectiveness of the NCPMHEP’s efforts and those across the Federal Government in building the Nation’s public mental health emergency preparedness and service delivery capacity. (b)

Duties of the Assessment Working Group

The Assessment Working Group shall— (1)evaluate— (A)the effectiveness of each component of the NCPMHEP, including the identification and development of training curricula, the clearinghouse, and the annual national forum; (B)the effects of the training curricula on the skills, knowledge, and attitudes of emergency health professionals and on their delivery of mental health services in the event of bioterrorism or other public health emergency; (C)the effects of the NCPMHEP on the capacities of State and local government agencies to coordinate, mobilize, and deploy resources and to deliver mental health services in the event of bioterrorism or other public health emergency; and (D)other issues as determined by the Secretary, in consultation with the Assessment Working Group; and (2)submit the annual report required under subsection (c). (c)

Annual report

On an annual basis, the Assessment Working Group shall— (1)report to the Secretary and appropriate committees of Congress the results of the evaluation by the Assessment Working Group under this section; and (2)publish and disseminate the results of such evaluation on as wide a basis as is practicable, including through the NCPMHEP clearinghouse website under section 2824. (d)

Recommendations

(1)

In general

Based on the annual report, the Director, in consultation with the Assessment Working Group, shall make recommendations to the Secretary— (A)for improving— (i)the training curricula identified and approved by the NCPMHEP; (ii)the NCPMHEP clearinghouse; and (iii)the annual forum of the NCPMHEP; and (B)regarding any other matter related to improving mental health preparedness and service delivery in the event of bioterrorism or other public health emergency in the United States through the NCPMHEP. (2)

Action by secretary

Based on the recommendations provided under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit recommendations to Congress for any legislative changes necessary to implement such recommendations.

2827.

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subtitle— (1)$15,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; and (2)such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2008 through 2011.