[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 58 (Thursday, April 25, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3031-S3032]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DONNELLY:
  S. 810. A bill to require a pilot program on an online computerized 
assessment to enhance detection of behaviors

[[Page S3032]]

indicating a risk of suicide and other mental health conditions in 
members of the Armed Forces, and for other purposes; to the Committee 
on Armed Services.
  Mr. DONNELLY. Mr. President, I wish to take time to speak about an 
important issue that needs immediate attention, suicide among our 
servicemembers and veterans. Last year, we lost more servicemen and 
women to suicide than we lost in combat in Afghanistan.
  In 2012, approximately 349 members of the U.S. military, including 
Active-Duty, Guard, and Reserve, committed suicide--more than the total 
number of servicemembers who died in combat operations. This number 
does not even include the more than 6,000 veterans we lost last year to 
suicide. This is unacceptable. This has to end.
  Today, I am introducing my first bill as a Senator, the Jacob Sexton 
Military Suicide Prevention Act of 2013. We are doing this to address 
this pervasive issue. This bill seeks to better identify servicemembers 
struggling with mental health issues and to ensure they receive the 
assistance they need before resorting to this tragic act.
  I named this bill after a member of the Indiana National Guard, Jacob 
Sexton, a native of farmland Indiana, who tragically took his life in 
2009 while home on a 15-day leave from Afghanistan. His death came as a 
shock to his family and his friends as well as his fellow Guard 
members.
  This is a picture of Jacob while on duty. He is an American hero. He 
did everything he could to serve his country and to help people from 
another country, to help people around the world live a better life.
  A couple months ago, I heard from Jacob's dad Jeff, and I have since 
learned about his childhood in Indiana, Jacob's service to our Nation, 
and the big heart he always showed through his dedication to bringing 
winter coats to all the kids he met in Afghanistan during his 
deployment.
  Jeff, along with his wife and Jacob's mom Barbara, has since become 
an advocate for suicide prevention. They want to make sure what 
happened to Jacob doesn't happen to anyone else. They helped inspire 
this bill, and I thank them for their dedication to preventing these 
tragedies for other parents and loved ones of men and women in uniform.
  This is a collage made in honor of Jacob by his mom Barbara, and it 
is a reflection of who he was, the things he did, the people he served, 
and the wonderful spirit of ``can do'' and ``how can I help my 
country'' that permeated who he was. My hope is we can help men and 
women similar to Jacob who are struggling with mental health issues to 
get the help they need before they resort to taking their own life.
  The facts on military suicides are stark. According to the Department 
of Veterans Affairs and the Centers for Disease Control, at least 
30,000 veterans and military members have committed suicide since the 
Department of Defense began closely tracking these numbers in 2009. It 
is important to note suicide is not necessarily linked to deployments 
abroad. Since the Defense Department Suicide Prevention Office began 
keeping detailed records in 2008, less than half of suicide victims had 
deployed and few were involved in combat.
  Most of DOD's existing suicide prevention programs work within the 
context of deployments. As we draw down in Afghanistan and away from 
the strain of multiple deployments, it is time to find a more 
integrated solution that does not rely on the deployment cycle to the 
servicemember's mental health. Instead, research has shown that other 
risk factors, such as relationship issues, legal or financial issues or 
substance abuse play a larger role in suicides than a servicemember's 
deployment history.
  We have heard this firsthand from crisis intervention officers right 
in my home State of Indiana. Further, many of these suicide victims did 
not communicate their intent to take their own life nor did they have 
known behavioral health issues. Given the facts before us, what does 
the current mental health system look like? The current mental health 
systems for both Active and Retired military rely on a servicemember's 
or a veteran's willingness to self-report suicidal thoughts and to seek 
out assistance. The backup to this system is if family members, peers 
or coworkers identify changes in behavior and then recommend their 
loved one or friend seek assistance.
  How do we improve this system? The Jacob Sexton Military Suicide 
Prevention Act of 2013 would establish a pilot program in each of the 
military services and also the Reserve components to integrate annual 
mental health assessments into a servicemember's periodic health 
assessment--or PHA. That is an annual review designed to track whether 
a servicemember is fit to serve. The pilot program would expand that 
review to include a more detailed mental health review and to identify 
those risk factors for mental illness so servicemembers can receive 
preventive care and help.
  By building on the system that monitors the member from induction to 
transition into veteran status, an expanded review, including a mental 
health assessment, would create a holistic picture of a servicemember's 
readiness to serve. The servicemember can carry this record with them 
as they leave the service, and it could help inform any future claims 
for veterans' benefits.
  The Jacob Sexton Military Suicide Prevention Act would also integrate 
a first-line supervisor's input. The first-line supervisor plays an 
important role in a servicemember's life and may be aware of 
relationships or financial problems but not be able to address them 
unless the servicemember speaks up. Sometimes these problems affect 
performance. The supervisor's input would help identify potential 
triggers for stress and suicidal tendencies or problems in work 
performance.
  The results of the whole questionnaire would be reviewed by mental 
health specialists. If problems or risk factors are identified, 
servicemembers would be referred to behavioral health specialists for 
further evaluation and medical care.
  I included in this legislation--and this is critical--privacy 
protections to ensure information collected through the survey is used 
only for medical purposes. It cannot be used for promotion, retention 
or disciplinary purposes. I strongly believe a servicemember should not 
bear any consequence for reporting on their mental health or trying to 
seek out mental health assistance.
  Finally, as I think we should expect of all government programs and 
proposals, my bill would require an assessment as to whether it is 
actually working. To determine the effectiveness of the program and the 
ways to move forward, this bill would require a report from the 
Department of Defense to Congress on the impact of the program in 
identifying behavioral health concerns and interventions in suicides.
  We have lost far too many men and women such as Jacob. Let us come 
together in a bipartisan fashion to honor the memories of Jacob and all 
those Americans we have lost by working to improve our ability to spot 
warning signs before it is too late. I urge my colleagues to support 
this legislation on behalf of those who sacrifice so much for our 
Nation every day.
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