[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1465 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1465

 To authorize a pilot program on enhancements of Department of Defense 
  efforts on mental health in the National Guard and Reserves through 
            community partnerships, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 1, 2011

    Mr. Reed (for himself, Ms. Ayotte, Mr. Kerry, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. 
Whitehouse, Mr. Brown of Massachusetts, Mr. Leahy, and Mr. Blumenthal) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To authorize a pilot program on enhancements of Department of Defense 
  efforts on mental health in the National Guard and Reserves through 
            community partnerships, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Joining Forces for Military Mental 
Health Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON ENHANCEMENTS OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EFFORTS 
              ON MENTAL HEALTH IN THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVES 
              THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.

    (a) Pilot Program Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense may carry out a 
        pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of 
        enhancing the efforts of the Department of Defense in research, 
        treatment, education, and outreach on mental health and 
        substance use disorders and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in 
        members of the National Guard and Reserves, their family 
        members, and their caregivers through community partners 
        described in subsection (c).
            (2) Duration.--The duration of the pilot program may not 
        exceed three years.
    (b) Grants.--In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary may 
award not more than five grants to community partners described in 
subsection (c). Any grant so awarded shall be awarded using a 
competitive and merit-based award process.
    (c) Community Partners.--A community partner described in this 
subsection is a private non-profit organization or institution (or 
multiple organizations and institutions) that--
            (1) engages in each of the research, treatment, education, 
        and outreach activities described in subsection (d); and
            (2) meets such qualifications for treatment as a community 
        partner as the Secretary shall establish for purposes of the 
        pilot program.
    (d) Activities.--Amounts awarded under a grant under the pilot 
program shall be utilized by the community partner awarded the grant 
for one or more of the following:
            (1) To engage in research on the causes, development, and 
        innovative treatment of mental health and substance use 
        disorders and Traumatic Brain Injury in members of the National 
        Guard and Reserves, their family members, and their caregivers.
            (2) To provide treatment to such members and their families 
        for such mental health and substance use disorders and 
        Traumatic Brain Injury.
            (3) To identify and disseminate evidence-based treatments 
        of mental health and substance use disorders and Traumatic 
        Brain Injury described in paragraph (1).
            (4) To provide outreach and education to such members, 
        their families and caregivers, and the public about mental 
        health and substance use disorders and Traumatic Brain Injury 
        described in paragraph (1).
    (e) Requirement for Matching Funds.--
            (1) Requirement.--The Secretary may award a grant under 
        this section to an organization or institution (or 
        organizations and institutions) only if the awardee agrees to 
        make contributions toward the costs of activities carried out 
        with the grant, from non-Federal sources (whether public or 
        private), an amount equal to not less than $3 for each $1 of 
        funds provided under the grant.
            (2) Nature of non-federal contributions.--Contributions 
        from non-Federal sources for purposes of paragraph (1) may be 
        in cash or in-kind, fairly evaluated. Amounts provided by the 
        Federal Government, or services assisted or subsidized to any 
        significant extent by the Federal Government, may not be 
        included in determining the amount of contributions from non-
        Federal sources for such purposes.
    (f) Application.--An organization or institution (or organizations 
and institutions) seeking a grant under this section shall submit to 
the Secretary an application therefore in such a form and containing 
such information as the Secretary considers appropriate, including the 
following:
            (1) A description how the activities proposed to be carried 
        out with the grant will help improve collaboration and 
        coordination on research initiatives, treatment, and education 
        and outreach on mental health and substance use disorders and 
        Traumatic Brain Injury among the Armed Forces.
            (2) A description of existing efforts by the applicant to 
        put the research described in (c)(1) into practice.
            (3) If the application comes from multiple organizations 
        and institutions, how the activities proposed to be carried out 
        with the grant would improve coordination and collaboration 
        among such organizations and institutions.
            (4) If the applicant proposes to provide services or 
        treatment to members of the Armed Forces or family members 
        using grant amounts, reasonable assurances that such services 
        or treatment will be provided by a qualified provider.
            (5) Plans to comply with subsection (g).
    (g) Exchange of Medical and Clinical Information.--A community 
partner awarded a grant under the pilot program shall agree to any 
requirements for the sharing of medical or clinical information 
obtained pursuant to the grant that the Secretary shall establish for 
purposes of the pilot program. The exchange of medical or clinical 
information pursuant to this subsection shall comply with applicable 
privacy and confidentiality laws.
    (h) Dissemination of Information.--The Secretary of Defense shall 
share with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs information on best 
practices in research, treatment, education, and outreach on mental 
health and substance use disorders and Traumatic Brain Injury 
identified by the Secretary of Defense as a result of the pilot 
program.
    (i) Report.--Not later than 180 days before the completion of the 
pilot program, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs, and to Congress, a report on the pilot program. 
The report shall include the following:
            (1) A description of the pilot program, including the 
        community partners awarded grants under the pilot program, the 
        amount of grants so awarded, and the activities carried out 
        using such grant amounts.
            (2) A description of any research efforts advanced using 
        such grant amounts.
            (3) The number of members of the National Guard and 
        Reserves provided treatment or services by community partners 
        using such grant amounts, and a summary of the types of 
        treatment and services so provided.
            (4) A description of the education and outreach activities 
        undertaken using such grant amounts.
            (5) A description of efforts to exchange clinical 
        information under subsection (g).
            (6) A description and assessment of the effectiveness and 
        achievements of the pilot program with respect to research, 
        treatment, education, and outreach on mental health and 
        substance use disorders and Traumatic Brain Injury.
            (7) Such recommendations as the Secretary of Defense 
        considers appropriate in light of the pilot program on the 
        utilization of organizations and institutions such as community 
        partners under the pilot program in efforts of the Department 
        described in subsection (a).
            (8) A description of the metrics used by the Secretary in 
        making recommendations under paragraph (7).
    (j) Available Funds.--Funds for the pilot program shall be derived 
from amounts authorized to be appropriated for the Department of 
Defense for Defense Health Program and otherwise available for 
obligation and expenditure.
    (k) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``family member'' and 
``caregiver'', in the case of a member of the National Guard or 
Reserves, have the meaning given such terms in section 1720G(d) of 
title 38, United States Code, with respect to a veteran.
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