1.This Act may be cited as the
Veterans Mental Health Professionals
Oversight Act of 2010
.
2.Review of mental
health professionals of the Department of Veterans Affairs
(a)
(1)Subchapter
II of chapter 73 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the
end the following new section:
7330B.Review of
mental health professionals
(a)Not later than January 1 of each year, the
Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a review
of mental health professionals employed by the Veterans Health Administration
during the preceding fiscal year.
(b)Not later than 90 days after the date on
which the review under subsection (a) is completed, the Inspector General shall
submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives,
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate, and the Advisory Committee on
Veterans with Psychological and Mental Health Needs under section 547 of this
title a report on such review.
(c)With respect to each covered facility in
each geographic service area of the Veterans Health Administration, the report
shall include the following:
(1)The number of full-time psychiatrists and
psychologists employed during the preceding fiscal year.
(2)The number of part-time (or part-time
equivalent) psychiatrists and psychologists employed during the preceding
fiscal year.
(3)The number of mental health nursing staff
employed during the preceding fiscal year.
(4)The number of certified social workers
assigned to mental health programs during the preceding fiscal year.
(5)The number of other direct-care mental
health staff, including counselors and outreach workers, employed during the
preceding fiscal year.
(6)The number of administrative and support
staff assigned to mental health programs during the preceding fiscal
year.
(7)The number of
full-time direct-care employees for all programs of the Veterans Health
Administration.
(8)The number of
unfilled vacancies for mental health positions that have been authorized for
each geographic service area (including the number of positions per each
covered facility) and the average length of time such positions remain
unfilled.
(d)In this section, the term covered
facility includes each medical center, facility, and community-based
outpatient clinic of the Veterans Health
Administration.
.
(2)The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 73 is
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 7330A the following new
item:
7330B. Review of mental health
professionals
.
(b)Not later than October 1, 2011, the
Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives, the Committee
on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate, and the Advisory Committee on Veterans with
Psychological and Mental Health Needs under section 547 of title 38, United
States Code, as added by section 3 of this Act, a report under section 7330B of
such title, as added by subsection (a) of this section, with respect to each of
fiscal years 2004 through 2009.
3.Advisory
committee on veterans with psychological and mental health needs
(a)Subchapter III of
chapter 5 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
547.Advisory
committee on veterans with psychological and mental health needs
(a)The Secretary shall establish an advisory
committee to be known as the Advisory Committee on Veterans with Psychological
and Mental Health Needs (in this section referred to as the
Committee
).
(b)The
Committee shall consist of members appointed by the Secretary,
including—
(1)mental health
practitioners of the Department;
(2)veterans;
(3)individuals
representing veteran service organizations; and
(4)individuals
representing other organizations related to mental health or veterans.
(c)Responsibilities
of Committee(1)The Secretary shall, on a regular basis,
consult with and seek the advice of the Committee with respect to the provision
of mental health care to veterans.
(2)In addition to providing advice under
paragraph (1), the Committee shall—
(A)analyze data contained in the reports
submitted under section 7330B of this title; and
(B)collect information related to the
provision of mental health treatment to veterans by the Department, including
by visiting medical facilities of the Department from time to time.
(d)Not later than March 1 of each year,
beginning March 1, 2011, the Committee shall submit to the Secretary a report
on the programs and activities of the Department that pertain to veterans with
psychological and mental health
needs.
.
(b)The table of
sections at the beginning of chapter 5 of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
547. Advisory committee on veterans with
psychological and mental health
needs.
.
4.Report on chronic
mental health conditionsNot
later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate a
report on chronic mental health conditions. The report shall include the
following:
(1)The number of
veterans diagnosed with chronic mental health conditions.
(2)The anticipated
needs of veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom
with respect to the treatment of chronic mental health conditions.
(3)With respect to
treating the veterans described in paragraph (2), the anticipated needs of the
Department of Veterans Affairs related to—
(A)the number (by
type) of staff of the Veterans Health Administration;
(B)the number (by
type) of facilities of the Veterans Health Administration;
(C)the equipment and
other resources used in such treatment; and
(D)the amount of
funding required by the Secretary.
(4)The optimal panel
size of patients for mental health professionals treating the veterans
described in paragraphs (1) and (2).
5.Study on
substance-use disorders and rehabilitation
(a)The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
conduct a study of substance-use disorders among veterans. Such study shall
include—
(1)the barriers to
rehabilitation and treatment of such substance-use disorders;
(2)the effect early
intervention services have on treating substance-use disorders;
(3)the effect
counseling, including couples and family counseling, has on treating
substance-use disorders; and
(4)developing
programs to combat any stigmas related to treating substance-use disorders that
prevent veterans from seeking such treatment.
(b)Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate a report on the study required by subsection
(a).
6.Comptroller
General reports on mental health programs
(a)
(1)Not later than one year after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study
to assess—
(A)the progress of
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in implementing the Mental Health Strategic
Plan of the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans
Affairs (published November 2004); and
(B)the status of the
Uniform Mental Health Services handbook of the Veterans Health Administration
(Veterans Health Administration handbook 1160.01, published September 11, 2008)
at the end of fiscal year 2010.
(2)Not later than 30 days after the study
under paragraph (1) is completed, the Comptroller General shall submit to the
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives, the Committee
on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs a
report on the study, including the number of full-time mental health
professionals the Comptroller General determines necessary to implement the
Mental Health Strategic Plan and the Uniform Mental Health Services
handbook.
(b)Not later than one
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall
submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives,
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate, and the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs a report on any modifications to the Veterans’ Equitable Resource
Allocation system of the Veterans Health Administration that the Comptroller
General determines necessary for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to meet the
mental health needs of veterans.