[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2505 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2505
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot
program to utilize tele-health platforms to assist in the treatment of
veterans living in rural areas who suffer from post traumatic stress
disorder or traumatic brain injury.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 19, 2009
Mr. Teague introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot
program to utilize tele-health platforms to assist in the treatment of
veterans living in rural areas who suffer from post traumatic stress
disorder or traumatic brain injury.
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 ``Reaching Rural Veterans through
Telehealth Act''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING NEED TO USE TELE-HEALTH PLATFORMS
IN TREATING VETERANS LIVING IN RURAL AREAS SUFFERING FROM
POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER OR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) members of the Armed Forces serving in Iraq or
Afghanistan are being exposed to conditions in combat
operations that increase the risk of the members developing
post-traumatic stress disorder or incurring a traumatic brain
injury;
(2) veterans living in rural areas need better access to
treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic
brain injury; and
(3) the use of tele-health platforms in the treatment of
post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury can
reduce the need for travel by providers and veterans and their
families, thereby also reducing costs, time, stress, and other
factors associated with travel.
SEC. 3. TELE-HEALTH PILOT PROJECT FOR TREATMENT OF VETERANS LIVING IN
RURAL AREAS WHO SUFFER FROM POST TRAUMATIC STRESS
DISORDER OR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.
(a) Pilot Project.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall award
grants for the establishment three pilot projects to use tele-health
platforms to work, in collaboration with State behavioral health
systems, other Federal agencies, and other entities as applicable, to
serve the needs of veterans living in rural areas who suffer from post
traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury. Utilizing tele-
health platforms, the pilot projects shall provide treatment,
education, and evaluation to veterans who suffer from post traumatic
stress disorder or traumatic brain injury and support to their
families.
(b) Tele-Health Platform Defined.--The term ``tele-health
platform'' means the use of electronic information and
telecommunications technologies to support long-distance clinical
health care, patient and professional health-related education, public
health, and health administration.
(c) Project Goals.--
(1) Education.--Education efforts under the pilot projects
shall be designed to teach primary care providers how to
diagnosis and manage clients with post traumatic stress
disorder or traumatic brain injury, be standardized and
replicable using validated tools, and require ongoing
evaluation and improvement of the education and training in
diagnosis and treatment.
(2) Treatment.--Treatment efforts under the pilot projects
shall be designed to be comprehensive and accessible to
veterans on a 24-hour basis, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
(d) Provider Participation.--Participation in the pilot projects
shall be multi-disciplinary and broad-based, including medical
clinicians, trainers, educators, researchers, community members, and
other interested persons.
(e) Grant Requirements.--The Secretary shall select grant
recipients on the basis of the following:
(1) Geographical diversity.
(2) Reaching the most possible veterans not currently
receiving treatment for post traumatic stress disorder or
traumatic brain injury.
(3) Creating programs in Veteran Integrated Service
Networks that are designated by the Secretary to be ``rural''
or ``highly rural''.
(f) Allowable Uses of Funds.--
(1) Training.--Grant funds may be used for training
practitioners, therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, case
managers, and other professionals to treat veterans suffering
from post traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury,
including a focus on teaching primary care providers to
diagnosis and manage patients with post traumatic stress
disorder.
(2) Research.--Grant funds may be used for testing a
variety of clinical and case management modalities to provide
``Best Practice'' treatment for specific populations, such as
veterans who served in a regular component of the Armed Forces,
veterans who served in reserve components, female military
personnel, children of military personnel, parents, and other
significant others.
(3) Purchasing.--Grant funds may be used for purchasing
equipment related to tele-health platforms, such as monitors,
speakers, webcams, and necessary software.
(4) Organization of projects.--Grant recipients may partner
and contract with local community groups that are already
providing services in a rural area, such as parenting, sexual
assault prevention and recovery services, domestic violence
prevention and recovery services, food banks, and other social
services. Grant funds may be used to provide stipends to
clinicians and providers involved in a pilot project.
(g) Reporting Requirements.--Grant recipients shall provide a
quarterly report to the Secretary that will include the following:
(1) Results under the pilot project involved.
(2) Number of veterans treated.
(3) Individual client progress.
(4) Demonstrative service coordination.
(5) Client demographics.
(6) Outcomes and information that can be shared with local,
State, and Federal government agencies.
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