[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3235 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 543
116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3235

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a pilot program 
            on posttraumatic growth, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 28, 2020

Ms. McSally (for herself, Mr. Kaine, and Mrs. Loeffler) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

                           September 15, 2020

                Reported by Mr. Moran, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a pilot program 
            on posttraumatic growth, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Posttraumatic 
Growth Act''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Congress finds the following:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) There is a shortage of adequate, timely, and 
        effective mental health care available to veterans across the 
        United States.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) The Department of Veterans Affairs continues 
        to highlight veterans mental health care and suicide prevention 
        as a key priority.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) There is an opportunity to explore effective 
        alternative treatments focused on the area of posttraumatic 
        growth.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM ON POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Program.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
conduct a pilot program to study the effectiveness and benefits of 
nonprofit posttraumatic growth programs to determine--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the outcomes of such programs in contrast to 
        traditional models of mental health care;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the possible integration of such nonprofit 
        programs into the mental health care programs provided by the 
        Secretary; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) the budgetary impacts of such 
        integration.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Review and Evaluation.--In developing the pilot 
program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) review relevant literature to summarize the 
        existing knowledge regarding posttraumatic growth programs; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) evaluate such programs.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Duration.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot 
program under subsection (a) for a two-year period beginning on the 
date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Locations.--The Secretary shall select more than one 
location at which to carry out the pilot program under subsection (a), 
of which at least one location shall include a rural area.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Participants.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Eligibility.--A veteran is eligible to 
        participate in the pilot program under subsection (a) if the 
        Secretary determines that the veteran is--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) not at known immediate risk of 
                attempting suicide; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) not participating in traditional 
                mental health treatment.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Female veterans.--Not fewer than four groups 
        of veterans participating in the pilot program under subsection 
        (a) shall consist only of female veterans.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (f) Nonprofit Organizations.--The Secretary shall carry 
out the pilot program under subsection (a) by entering into an 
agreement with one or more nonprofit organizations that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) have staff with expertise in evidence-based 
        care and experience working with veterans;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) have experience in the science of 
        posttraumatic growth; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) use a standardized, evaluated, and 
        comprehensive curriculum.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (g) Report.--Not later than one year after the date on 
which the pilot program under subsection (a) is completed, the 
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the pilot program, 
including a comparison of the care provided under the pilot program and 
the clinical care model of the Department.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Posttraumatic Growth Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) There is a shortage of adequate, timely, and effective 
        mental health care available to veterans across the United 
        States.
            (2) The Department of Veterans Affairs continues to 
        highlight veterans mental health care and suicide prevention as 
        a key priority.
            (3) There is an opportunity to explore effective 
        alternative treatments focused on the area of posttraumatic 
        growth.

SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM ON POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH.

    (a) Program.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a 
pilot program, through the Office of Whole Health of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, to study the effectiveness and benefits of nonprofit 
posttraumatic growth programs to determine--
            (1) the outcomes of such programs in contrast to 
        traditional models of mental health care;
            (2) the possible integration of such nonprofit programs 
        into the mental health care programs provided by the Secretary; 
        and
            (3) the budgetary impacts of such integration.
    (b) Review and Evaluation.--In developing the pilot program under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
            (1) review relevant literature to summarize the existing 
        knowledge regarding posttraumatic growth programs; and
            (2) evaluate such programs.
    (c) Duration.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program 
under subsection (a) for a two-year period beginning on the date that 
is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (d) Locations.--The Secretary shall select more than one location 
at which to carry out the pilot program under subsection (a), of which 
at least one location shall include a rural area.
    (e) Participants.--
            (1) Eligibility.--A veteran is eligible to participate in 
        the pilot program under subsection (a) if the Secretary 
        determines that the veteran is--
                    (A) not at known immediate risk of attempting 
                suicide; and
                    (B) not participating in traditional mental health 
                treatment.
            (2) Female veterans.--Not fewer than four groups of 
        veterans participating in the pilot program under subsection 
        (a) shall consist only of female veterans.
    (f) Nonprofit Organizations.--The Secretary shall carry out the 
pilot program under subsection (a) by entering into an agreement with 
one or more nonprofit organizations that--
            (1) have staff with expertise in evidence-based care and 
        experience working with veterans;
            (2) have experience in the science of posttraumatic growth; 
        and
            (3) use a standardized, evaluated, and comprehensive 
        curriculum.
    (g) Report.--Not later than one year after the date on which the 
pilot program under subsection (a) is completed, the Secretary shall 
submit to Congress a report on the pilot program, including a 
comparison of the care provided under the pilot program and the 
clinical care model of the Department.
                                                       Calendar No. 543

116th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 3235

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a pilot program 
            on posttraumatic growth, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           September 15, 2020

                       Reported with an amendment