[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 32 (Friday, March 12, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2792-S2794]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. DeWine, Mrs. Clinton, and Mr. 
        Smith):
  S. 2215. A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide 
funds for campus mental and behavioral health service centers; to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Campus Care 
and Counseling Act along with my colleague from Ohio, Senator DeWine, 
my colleague from Oregon, Senator Smith and my colleague from New York, 
Senator Clinton. The recent rash of suicides on college campuses has 
highlighted a mental health crisis. Just this past week, Diana Chien, a 
19 year old student at New York University ended her life by jumping 
off a building. Our own colleagues, the Senator from Oregon, suffered a 
tragic loss when his son, Garret, took his life last September. 
Suicides take the lives of over 4,000 children and young adults 
annually. It is now the third leading cause of death among 10-24 year 
olds. The rate of suicide has tripled from 1952 to 1995. How many more 
of our children will be lost before we take action to prevent their 
untimely demise? When will we start to say to them that there is an 
answer; that suicide is not the way out; that we can help them feel 
better; that they can live happier and healthier lives?
  College is a time of great intellectual development--and it is also a 
time of exponential personal and interpersonal growth and change. When 
children go off to college, we need to be sure that they are going to a 
place that will help them reach their boundless potential. We also need 
to make sure that it will also support them through the transition to 
adulthood and during their greatest hour of need. Additionally, many 
more adults are going to college, and they too face challenges, 
particularly in balancing school, work, and family responsibilities. We 
can and should do more to address the significant lack in this area.
  A Chronicle of Higher Education survey found that rates for 
depression in college freshmen have nearly doubled from 8.2 percent to 
16.3 percent. Without treatment, the Chronicle reports that ``depressed 
adolescents are at risk for school failure, social isolation, 
promiscuity, self-medication with drugs and alcohol, and suicide.'' A 
2003 Gallagher's Survey of Counseling Center Directors found that 85 
percent of college counseling centers are reporting an increase in the 
number of students in need of services, 81 percent were concerned about 
increasing numbers of students with severe psychological problems, 67 
percent reported a need for more psychiatric services, and 6.3 percent 
reported problems with growing demand for services without an 
appropriate increase in resources. Clearly, many students with serious 
needs do not have access to psychiatric or other mental and behavioral 
health services.
  This is an issue that my office has been working on with the American 
Psychological Association since 2002. In light of the forthcoming 
debate on the Higher Education Act Reauthorization and the recent spate 
of college campus suicides, I am introducing the ``Campus Care and 
Counseling Act.'' This bill amends the Higher Education Act to 
authorize $10 million in peer-reviewed competitive grants to 
institutions of higher education to increase access and enhance mental 
and behavioral health services for our college students. Grants may be 
used for the prevention, screening, early intervention, assessment, 
treatment, management, and education activities related to mental and 
behavioral health problems. Taking into consideration that education 
creates awareness, these funds may also be used to educate parents, to 
hire staff, and to expand training. To address the stigma of mental 
illness, programs funded through this grant will need to focus their 
efforts on developing outreach strategies to reach those students most 
in need of services.

[[Page S2793]]

  My colleagues in the Senate, this is an important bipartisan measure 
which will help to ensure that our nation's college students will have 
access to quality mental and behavioral health care so that they 
receive the help needed to not only survive through their difficult 
times in college, but also to excel and accomplish all that is within 
their reach. I want to also thank the American Psychiatric Association 
and other organizations for their assistance in shaping this 
legislation. I urge my colleagues to join myself and Senators DeWine 
and Smith in enacting this important legislation.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this 
legislation be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2215

       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 ``Campus Care and Counseling 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) In a recent report, a startling 85 percent of college 
     counseling centers revealed an increase in the number of 
     students they see with psychological problems. Furthermore, 
     the American College Health Association found that 61 percent 
     of college students reported feeling hopeless, 45 percent 
     said they felt so depressed they could barely function, and 9 
     percent felt suicidal.
       (2) There is clear evidence of an increased incidence of 
     depression among college students. According to a survey 
     described in the Chronicle of Higher Education (February 1, 
     2002), depression among freshmen has nearly doubled (from 8.2 
     percent to 16.3 percent). Without treatment, researchers 
     recently noted that ``depressed adolescents are at risk for 
     school failure, social isolation, promiscuity, self 
     medication with drugs and alcohol, and suicide--now the third 
     leading cause of death among 10-24 year olds.''.
       (3) Researchers who conducted the study ``Changes in 
     Counseling Center Client Problems Across 13 Years'' (1989-
     2001) at Kansas State University stated that ``students are 
     experiencing more stress, more anxiety, more depression than 
     they were a decade ago.'' (The Chronicle of Higher Education, 
     February 14, 2003).
       (4) According to the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug 
     Abuse, 20 percent of full-time undergraduate college students 
     use illicit drugs.
       (5) The 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse also 
     reported that 18.4 percent of adults aged 18 to 24 are 
     dependent on or abusing illicit drugs or alcohol. In 
     addition, the study found that ``serious mental illness is 
     highly correlated with substance dependence or abuse. Among 
     adults with serious mental illness in 2001, 20.3 percent were 
     dependent on or abused alcohol or illicit drugs, while the 
     rate among adults without serious mental illness was only 6.3 
     percent.''.
       (6) A 2003 Gallagher's Survey of Counseling Center 
     Directors found that 81 percent were concerned about the 
     increasing number of students with more serious psychological 
     problems, 67 percent reported a need for more psychiatric 
     services, and 63 percent reported problems with growing 
     demand for services without an appropriate increase in 
     resources.
       (7) The International Association of Counseling Services 
     accreditation standards recommend 1 counselor per 1,000 to 
     1,500 students. According to the 2003 Gallagher's Survey of 
     Counseling Center Directors, the ratio of counselors to 
     students is as high as 1 counselor per 2,400 students at 
     institutions of higher education with more than 15,000 
     students.

     SEC. 3. MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES ON CAMPUS.

       Part B of title I of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
     U.S.C. 1011 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 
     120 the following:

     ``SEC. 120A. MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES ON CAMPUS.

       ``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to 
     increase access to, and enhance the range of, mental and 
     behavioral health services for students so as to ensure that 
     college students have the support necessary to successfully 
     complete their studies.
       ``(b) Program Authorized.--From funds appropriated under 
     subsection (j), the Secretary shall award competitive grants 
     to institutions of higher education to create or expand 
     mental and behavioral health services to students at such 
     institutions, to provide such services, and to develop best 
     practices for the delivery of such services. Such grants 
     shall, subject to the availability of such appropriations, be 
     for a period of 3 years.
       ``(c) Eligible Grant Recipients.--Any institution of higher 
     education that seeks to provide, or provides, mental and 
     behavioral health services to students is eligible to apply, 
     on behalf of such institution's treatment provider, for a 
     grant under this section. Treatment providers may include 
     entities such as--
       ``(1) college counseling centers;
       ``(2) college and university psychological service centers;
       ``(3) mental health centers;
       ``(4) psychology training clinics;
       ``(5) institution of higher education supported, evidence-
     based, mental health and substance abuse screening programs; 
     and
       ``(6) any other entity that provides mental and behavioral 
     health services to students at an institution of higher 
     education.
       ``(d) Applications.--Each institution of higher education 
     seeking to obtain a grant under this section shall submit an 
     application to the Secretary. Each such application shall 
     include--
       ``(1) a description of identified mental and behavioral 
     health needs of students at the institution of higher 
     education;
       ``(2) a description of currently available Federal, State, 
     local, private, and institutional resources to address the 
     needs described in paragraph (1) at the institution of higher 
     education;
       ``(3) an outline of program objectives and anticipated 
     program outcomes, including an explanation of how the 
     treatment provider at the institution of higher education 
     will coordinate activities under this section with existing 
     programs and services;
       ``(4) the anticipated impact of funds provided under this 
     section in improving the mental and behavioral health of 
     students attending the institution of higher education;
       ``(5) outreach strategies, including ways in which the 
     treatment provider at the institution of higher education 
     proposes to reach students, promote access to services, and 
     address the range of needs of students;
       ``(6) a proposed plan for reaching those students most in 
     need of services;
       ``(7) a plan to evaluate program outcomes and assess the 
     services provided with funds under this section; and
       ``(8) such additional information as is required by the 
     Secretary.
       ``(e) Peer Review of Applications.--
       ``(1) Panel.--The Secretary shall provide the applications 
     submitted under this section to a peer review panel for 
     evaluation. With respect to each application, the peer review 
     panel shall recommend the application for funding or for 
     disapproval.
       ``(2) Composition of Panel.--
       ``(A) In general.--The peer review panel shall be composed 
     of--
       ``(i) experts who are competent, by virtue of their 
     training, expertise, or experience, to evaluate applications 
     for grants under this section; and
       ``(ii) mental and behavioral health professionals and 
     higher education professionals.
       ``(B) Non-federal government employees.--A majority of the 
     members of the peer review panel shall be individuals who are 
     not employees of the Federal Government.
       ``(3) Evaluation and Priority.--The peer review panel 
     shall--
       ``(A) evaluate the applicant's proposal to improve current 
     and future mental and behavioral health at the institution of 
     higher education; and
       ``(B) give priority in recommending applications for 
     funding to proposals that--
       ``(i) provide direct service to students, as described in 
     subsection (f)(1);
       ``(ii) improve the mental and behavioral health of students 
     at institutions of higher education with a counselor to 
     student ratio greater than 1 to 1,500; or
       ``(iii) will best serve students based on the projected 
     impact of the proposal on mental and behavioral health at the 
     institution of higher education as well as the level of 
     coordination of other resources to aid in the improvement of 
     mental and behavioral health.
       ``(f) Use of Funds.--Funds provided by a grant under this 
     section may be used for 1 or more of the following 
     activities:
       ``(1) Prevention, screening, early intervention, 
     assessment, treatment, management, and education of mental 
     and behavioral health problems of students enrolled at the 
     institution of higher education.
       ``(2) Education of families to increase awareness of 
     potential mental and behavioral health issues of students 
     enrolled at the institution of higher education.
       ``(3) Hiring appropriately trained staff, including 
     administrative staff.
       ``(4) Strengthening and expanding mental and behavioral 
     health training opportunities in internship and residency 
     programs, such as psychology doctoral and post-doctoral 
     training.
       ``(5) Supporting the use of evidence-based and emerging 
     best practices.
       ``(6) Evaluating and disseminating outcomes of mental and 
     behavioral health services so as to provide information and 
     training to other mental and behavioral health entities 
     around the Nation that serve students enrolled in 
     institutions of higher education.
       ``(g) Additional Required Elements.--Each institution of 
     higher education that receives a grant under this section 
     shall--
       ``(1) provide annual reports to the Secretary describing 
     the use of funds, the program's objectives, and how the 
     objectives were met, including a description of program 
     outcomes;
       ``(2) perform such additional evaluation as the Secretary 
     may require, which may include measures such as--
       ``(A) increase in range of services provided;
       ``(B) increase in the quality of services provided;
       ``(C) increase in access to services;
       ``(D) college continuation rates;
       ``(E) decrease in college dropout rates; and
       ``(F) increase in college graduation rates; and

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       ``(3) coordinate such institution's program under this 
     section with other related efforts on campus by entities 
     concerned with the mental, health, and behavioral health 
     needs of students.
       ``(h) Supplement not Supplant.--Grant funds provided under 
     this section shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, 
     Federal and non-Federal funds available for carrying out the 
     activities described in this section.
       ``(i) Limitations.--
       ``(1) Percentage limitations.--Not more than--
       ``(A) 5 percent of grant funds received under this section 
     shall be used for administrative costs; and
       ``(B) 20 percent of grant funds received under this section 
     shall be used for training costs.
       ``(2) Prohibition on use for construction or renovation.--
     Grant funds received under this section shall not be used for 
     construction or renovation of facilities or buildings.
       ``(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated for grants under this section 
     $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2005 and such sums as may be 
     necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.''.
                                 ______