1.This Act may be cited as the
Coming Together for National Guard and
Reserve Families Act of 2007
.
2.Congress makes the following
findings:
(1)More than 700,000
children have had a parent deployed overseas as a member of the Armed Forces
since September 11, 2001, and more than such 2,700 children have had a parent
killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.
(2)Forty-one percent
of the members of the National Guard and Reserve who have been deployed
overseas report mental health symptoms within three to six months of returning
home from deployment, compared with 32 percent of the members of the regular
military who have been so deployed. Fifteen percent of the members of the
National Guard and Reserve have been identified as at risk for post traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD), compared with 9 percent of the members of the regular
military. Research suggests that increased stress in the family can trigger
symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder.
(3)Military families
face significant challenges throughout the deployment cycle of members of the
Armed Forces. Families of members of the National Guard and Reserve are
particularly vulnerable because of their distance from military bases and their
lack of access to the services upon which military families typically draw. In
addition, many families of members of the National Guard and Reserve are
currently experiencing multiple extended deployments, and do not have the
necessary support available to them.
(4)Uncertainty and
separation can create high levels of stress for parents, spouses, and children.
Stress can put children at greater risk for behavioral problems, academic
difficulties, anxiety, and depression. Family separations many times result in
marital problems, financial difficulties, and stress on family
relationships.
(5)Research suggests
that military families who receive community and social support while members
of the National Guard and Reserve are undergoing deployment have the most
positive outcomes. Supporting families and children affected by deployment can
ease transitional stress, help members of the National Guard and Reserve and
their families cope during and after deployment, prevent mental health
problems, and assist in a smooth transition of members of the National Guard
and Reserve back to civilian life.
3.Family support
for families of members of the National Guard and Reserve undergoing
deployment
(a)
(1)The Secretary of Defense shall enhance and improve
current programs of the Department of Defense to provide family support for
families of members of the National Guard and Reserve in order to improve the
assistance available for families of members of the National Guard and Reserve
who are deployed throughout their deployment cycle.
(2)In enhancing and improving programs under paragraph
(1), the Secretary shall enhance and improve the availability of the
following:
(A)Support staff to
assist families of the members of the National Guard and Reserve who are
deployed throughout their deployment cycle, including staff to assist such
families in—
(i)preparing and
updating family care plans; and
(ii)securing
information on health care benefits and services and on other community
resources.
(B)Support staff to
provide referrals for such families for—
(i)crisis services;
and
(ii)marriage
counseling and family counseling.
(b)Post-deployment
assistance for spouses and parents of returning members
(1)The Secretary of Defense shall provide spouses and
parents of members of the National Guard and Reserve who are returning from
deployment assistance in—
(A)understanding
issues that arise in the readjustment of such members to civilian life;
(B)identifying signs
and symptoms of mental health issues; and
(C)encouraging such
members and their families in seeking assistance for such issues.
(2)Information on
available resourcesIn providing assistance under paragraph (1),
the Secretary shall provide information on local resources for mental health
services, family counseling services, or other appropriate services, including
services available from both military providers of such services and
community-base providers of such services.
(3)The
Secretary shall provide resources under paragraph (1) with respect to a member
of the National Guard or Reserve returning from deployment approximately six
months after the date of the return of such member from deployment.
(c)Authorization
of appropriationsThere is hereby authorized to be appropriated
for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2008, $4,000,000 to carry out
this section.
4.Pilot program on
family-to-family support for families of members of the National Guard and
Reserve undergoing deployment
(a)
(1)The Secretary of Defense shall, in consultation with the
Secretary of Health and Human Services, carry out a pilot program to—
(A)assess the
effectiveness of family-to-family support programs in—
(i)the
early identification and prevention of family problems for families of members
of the National Guard and Reserve who are deployed;
(ii)the provision of
peer support for such families;
(iii)reducing
adverse outcomes for children of such families, including poor academic
performance, behavioral problems, and the adverse consequence of stress and
anxiety; and
(iv)improving family
readiness and post-deployment transition for such families; and
(B)assess the
feasability and advisability of utilizing spouses of members of the Armed
Forces to act as counselors for spouses and families of members of the National
Guard and Reserve who are deployed in order to assist such spouses and families
in coping with the deployment of such members throughout their deployment
cycle.
(2)Construction
with other assistanceThe pilot program shall be in addition to
any assistance programs carried out by the Secretary of Defense.
(b)The duties of spouses who act as counselors under the
pilot program shall include—
(1)the provision of
assistance to spouses and families of members of the National Guard and Reserve
who are deployed with respect to family readiness, health care, and crisis
referral; and
(2)the provision of
outreach to such spouses and families on mental health matters such as marriage
and family counseling.
(c)In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary shall
provide appropriate training to spouses who act as counselors under the pilot
program, including training on the matters set forth in clauses (i) through
(iv) of subsection (a)(1)(A).
(d)Not
later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
of Defense shall submit to Congress a report on the pilot program. The report
shall include—
(1)a description of
the activities under the pilot program;
(2)an assessment of
the effectiveness of family-to-family support programs in achieving the results
set forth in subsection (a)(1)(A);
(3)an assessment of
the feasability and advisability of utilizing spouses of members of the Armed
Forces to act as counselors as described in subsection (a)(1)(B); and
(4)such other
matters as the Secretary considers appropriate in light of the pilot
program.
(e)Authorization
of appropriationsThere is hereby authorized to be appropriated
for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2008, $1,000,000 to carry out
this section.
5.Support services
for children, infants, and toddlers of members of the National Guard and
Reserve undergoing deployment
(a)Enhancement of
support services for children
(1)The Secretary of Defense shall, in consultation with the
Secretary of Health and Human Services, enter into a contract or other
agreement with a private sector entity having expertise in the health and
well-being of families and children in order to enhance and develop support
services for children of members of the National Guard and Reserve who are
deployed.
(2)In enhancing and developing support services pursuant to
paragraph (1), the entity referred to in that paragraph shall—
(A)develop materials
for parents and other caretakers of children of members of the National Guard
and Reserve who are deployed to assist such parents and caretakers in
responding to the adverse implications of such deployment (and the death or
injury of such members during such deployment) for such children, including the
role such parents and caretakers can play in addressing and mitigating such
implications;
(B)develop programs
and activities to increase awareness throughout the military and civilian
communities of the adverse implications of such deployment (and the death or
injury of such members during such deployment) for such children and their
families and to increase collaboration within such communities to address and
mitigate such implications;
(C)develop training
for early child care and education, mental health, health care, and family
support professionals to enhance the awareness of such professionals of their
role in assisting families in addressing and mitigating the adverse
implications of such deployment (and the death or injury of such members during
such deployment) for such children; and
(D)conduct research
on best practices for building psychological and emotional resiliency in such
children in coping with the deployment of such members.
(b)Enhancement of
support services for infants and toddlers
(1)The Secretary of Defense shall, in consultation with the
Secretary of Health and Human Services, enter into a contract or other
agreement with a private sector entity having expertise in the health and
well-being of infants and toddlers in order to enhance and develop support
services to address the special needs of infants and toddlers of members of the
National Guard and Reserve who are deployed.
(2)In enhancing and developing support services pursuant to
paragraph (1), the entity referred to in that paragraph shall—
(A)develop materials
for parents and other caretakers of infants and toddlers of members of the
National Guard and Reserve who are deployed to assist such parents and
caretakers in responding to the adverse implications of such deployment (and
the death or injury of such members during such deployment) for such infants
and toddlers, including the role such parents and caretakers can play in
addressing and mitigating such implications;
(B)develop programs
and activities to increase awareness throughout the military and civilian
communities of the adverse implications of such deployment (and the death or
injury of such members during such deployment) for such infants and toddlers
and their families and to increase collaboration within such communities to
address and mitigate such implications;
(C)develop training
for education, mental health, health care, and family support professionals to
enhance the awareness of such professionals of their role in assisting families
in addressing and mitigating the adverse implications of such deployment (and
the death or injury of such members during such deployment) for such infants
and toddlers; and
(D)conduct research
on best practices for building psychological and emotional resiliency in the
families of such infants and toddlers in coping with the deployment of such
members.
(c)
(1)At the end of the 18-month period beginning on the date
of the enactment of this Act, and at the end of the 36-month period beginning
on that date, each entity with which the Secretary of Defense enters into a
contract or agreement under subsection (a) or (b) shall submit to the
Secretary, and to Congress, a report on the activities of such entity under
such contract.
(2)Each
report under paragraph (1) shall include the following:
(A)An assessment of
the extent to which outreach to parents and other caretakers of children, or
infants and toddlers, as applicable, of members of the National Guard and
Reserve was effective in reaching such parents and caretakers and in mitigating
the adverse effects of the deployment of such members on such children or
infants and toddlers.
(B)An assessment of
the effectiveness of the programs and activities under such contract in
increasing collaboration and service provision in community agencies serving
family members of the National Guard and Reserve undergoing deployment.
(C)An assessment of
the effectiveness of training materials for education, mental health, health,
and family support professionals developed under such contract in increasing
awareness of their role in assisting families in addressing and mitigating the
adverse effects on children, or infants and toddlers, of the deployment of
members of the National Guard and Reserve.
(D)A description of
best practices identified under such contract for building psychological and
emotional resiliency in children, or infants and toddlers, in coping with the
deployment of members of the National Guard and Reserve.
(d)Authorization
of appropriations
(1)Support
services for childrenThere is hereby authorized to be
appropriated for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2008, $6,000,000 to
carry out subsection (a).
(2)Support
services for infants and toddlersThere is hereby authorized to
be appropriated for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2008, $6,000,000
to carry out subsection (b).
6.Mental health
services for family members of disabled members of the National Guard and
Reserve
(a)Expansion of
availability of mental health services
(1)The Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of
Defense shall jointly take appropriate actions to expand and enhance access to
mental health services for family members of members and former members of the
National Guard and Reserve who are disabled during military service.
(2)Access
to mental health services shall be expanded under paragraph (1) by the
provision of mental health services through the following:
(A)Community-based
outpatient clinics of the Department of Veterans Affairs staffed by personnel
of the Department.
(B)Referral to
appropriate facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the receipt of
such services.
(C)Referral to
appropriate mental health professionals in the community for receipt of such
services.
(D)Providers of
telemental health services.
(3)Authorization
of appropriationsThere is hereby authorized to be appropriated
for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2008, $8,000,000 to
carry out this section.
(b)Comptroller
General report on access to mental health services through TRICARE
(1)Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to
Congress a report on barriers to access to mental health services through the
TRICARE program, including the number of mental health services providers under
the TRICARE program that are located more than 40 miles from a military
installation.
(2)The
report under paragraph (1) shall include recommendations for—
(A)increasing access
to mental health services providers under the TRICARE program for members of
the National Guard and their families; and
(B)increasing the
number of mental health services providers under the TRICARE program in areas
located more than 40 miles from a military installation.