[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 98 (Wednesday, June 13, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H5137-H5138]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1645
PEER SUPPORT COUNSELING PROGRAM FOR WOMEN VETERANS
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 4635) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
to increase the number of peer-to-peer counselors providing counseling
for women veterans, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4635
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. PEER SUPPORT COUNSELING PROGRAM FOR WOMEN
VETERANS.
(a) In General.--Section 1720F(j) of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following
new paragraph:
``(4)(A) As part of the counseling program under this
subsection, the Secretary shall emphasize appointing peer
support counselors for women veterans. To the degree
practicable, the Secretary shall seek to recruit women peer
support counselors with expertise in--
``(i) female gender-specific issues and services;
``(ii) the provision of information about services and
benefits provided under laws administered by the Secretary;
or
``(iii) employment mentoring.
``(B) To the degree practicable, the Secretary shall
emphasize facilitating peer support counseling for women
veterans who are eligible for counseling and services under
section 1720D of this title, have post-traumatic stress
disorder or suffer from another mental health condition, are
homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, or are otherwise at
increased risk of suicide, as determined by the Secretary.
``(C) The Secretary shall conduct outreach to inform women
veterans about the program and the assistance available under
this paragraph.
``(D) In carrying out this paragraph, the Secretary shall
coordinate with such community organizations, State and local
governments, institutions of higher education, chambers of
commerce, local business organizations, organizations that
provide legal assistance, and other organizations as the
Secretary considers appropriate.
``(E) In carrying out this paragraph, the Secretary shall
provide adequate training for peer support counselors,
including training carried out under the national program of
training required by section 304(c) of the Caregivers and
Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 (38 U.S.C. 1712A
note).''.
(b) Funding.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry
out paragraph (4) of section 1720F(j) of title 38, United
States Code, as added by subsection (a), using funds
otherwise made available to the Secretary. No additional
funds are authorized to be appropriated by reason of such
paragraph.
(c) Report to Congress.--Not later than two years after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs
of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the
peer support counseling program under section 1720F(j) of
title 38, United States Code, as amended by this section.
Such report shall include--
(1) the number of peer support counselors in the program;
(2) an assessment of the effectiveness of the program; and
(3) a description of the oversight of the program.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Curtis). Pursuant to the rule, the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) and the gentleman from California
(Mr. Takano) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
General Leave
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record on H.R. 4635, as
amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Tennessee?
There was no objection.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4635, as amended. This
bill would ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs existing
volunteer peer support counseling program includes peer counselors for
women veterans.
As the number of veterans who are enrolled in the VA healthcare
system continues to grow, it is critical that the VA programs are
prepared to meet their needs. The peer support counseling program
recruits veterans to serve on a volunteer basis to assist their fellow
veterans who are struggling with mental health or readjustment issues
and to conduct outreach to inform veterans and their families of the
benefits and services that are available to them through the VA
healthcare system.
Peer support counselors are trained and overseen by VA and, as peers,
are often able to communicate on a more personal and effective basis
than nonveteran clinicians, particularly to veterans who may be
hesitant to seek VA care due to stigma or other barriers.
This bill is sponsored by Congressman Mike Coffman of Colorado. I am
grateful to Mike for his leadership on the committee and for sponsoring
this bill to ensure that VA recruits a sufficient number of women
veteran volunteers to support the need through the peer support
counseling program.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4635, as amended,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4635, as amended, to increase
the number of peer-to-peer counselors available to women veterans.
Peer-to-peer counseling is meant to be sensitive to the specific
culture of the military and how that culture affects veterans. It can
be incredibly helpful to veterans who may not feel comfortable entering
a more formal form of treatment, and for many women veterans, their
most relatable peer will be a fellow woman.
This bill would require VA to increase women veterans' access to
peer-to-peer counselors, thus ensuring all veterans can enjoy the
benefit of this incredible form of therapy.
[[Page H5138]]
Between this legislation and the other peer support measure recently
passed in the VA MISSION Act, this body continues to underscore its
commitment to expanding peer support at VA. I appreciate the hard work
Mr. Coffman has put into this issue and look forward to supporting his
efforts.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman
from Colorado (Mr. Coffman), my good friend and a senior member of the
Veterans Affairs' Committee. He is also both an Army and Marine
veteran.
Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 4635, the
Peer-2-Peer Counseling Act.
Currently, women veterans represent over 9 percent of our Nation's
veterans, and that number is expected to increase to 15 percent by the
year 2030. As more women veterans utilize VA healthcare, it is critical
for the VA to update and improve services for women veterans. One area
that warrants our particular attention for improved services is VA
mental health counseling services for women veterans.
An alarming statistic from VA's 2016 suicide data report noted that
the ``risk of suicide was 2.4 times higher among female veterans when
compared with civilian adult females,'' and it also noted ``rates of
suicide increased more among women than men in the same study.''
Unfortunately, many women veterans have experienced sexual trauma and
PTSD while serving in the military. Some women veterans are suffering
from other mental health conditions from multiple combat tours of duty
and are at risk of suicide and becoming homeless.
The Peer-2-Peer Counseling Act addresses these issues by requiring
the Secretary of the VA to ensure a sufficient number of volunteer peer
support counselors are available to facilitate peer-to-peer counseling
and assist women veterans with gender-specific care and services.
H.R. 4635 will increase access to vital mental health opportunities
within the VA for women veterans. I urge my colleagues to join me in
supporting the Peer-2-Peer Counseling Act to better serve the growing
women veteran population.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 4635 to better
meet the needs of the program and provide needed services to many more
veterans.
I will mention one other bill that just passed the House, H.R. 2147,
the Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act, which builds upon a very
successful program that essentially provides VA liaisons or veteran
justice outreach program officers within these veteran treatment courts
that facilitate VA services, whether drug and alcohol, mental health,
or other services, to veterans who would otherwise be incarcerated.
They have fallen into the criminal justice system often related to
their military service, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other
mental health disorders, where they have problems adjusting from
military life to civilian life.
What this program does is provide rehabilitative services in court
for our veterans. With the VA in support, it keeps these veterans at a
very successful rate. I think in the 18th Judicial District in my
congressional district, the veterans court has a 73 percent success
rate in keeping these veterans out of the criminal justice system by
providing VA rehabilitative services for them. I think an expansion of
this program is so important.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for having passed this bill
unanimously just previously today.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Connecticut (Ms. Esty), my good friend and the ranking member of the
Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
Ms. ESTY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4635, the Peer-2-Peer
Counseling Act. I want to thank my friend and colleague, Mr. Coffman,
for his leadership on this very important issue.
The bill we are considering today will help ensure that our women
veterans are fully equipped to transition back to civilian life.
Women veterans are the single fastest growing group of veterans in
America. They face many challenges unique to our women warriors. Women
veterans need access to peer counselors who are trained in recovery
from military sexual trauma, post-traumatic stress, and mental health
conditions that they may be struggling with.
I think it is also worth noting that women veterans are
disproportionately juggling childcare, which complicates their ability
to seek treatment elsewhere. They have special needs and experiences.
Our women veterans should have the opportunity to receive the advice
and counseling from someone who knows what they have been and are still
going through as women warriors. We need to help ensure that they have
the resources to succeed.
The VA must also do more to help ensure that every veteran is able to
benefit from peer support and has awareness and access to those
services. That is why I am so pleased that this bill today requires the
VA to conduct outreach to ensure that our women veterans know how to
get access to this important and valuable assistance.
Too often, I hear from veterans in my home State of Connecticut that
they are simply unaware that these services are available. We may offer
them through the VA, but if our veterans don't know they are there,
they aren't going to get the benefits they deserve. In many cases,
programs exist to help our women veterans, but the veterans don't know
they are there.
Peer support counselors have been through a transition before. They
understand what it takes, and they can be particularly effective in
meeting the needs of our women warriors.
With the fastest growing number of women in this country who are
veterans, now nearly 2 million veterans in America--think about that, 2
million--we need to do better by them through the VA. This is an
important peer-to-peer counseling support program. I am delighted that
we came together as a committee with bipartisan support to support this
bill.
We are also urging other legislation named in honor of Deborah
Sampson, the first woman to serve this country, to serve America in the
Revolutionary War, who dressed as a man.
It is important that we reassure today's women in Active Duty and
those transitioning out that we will take care of them and their
families as they make that important transition to civilian life. They
have earned our support in the military. We need to provide it to them
as they transition out.
Again, I want to thank my colleagues on the committee, the chairman
and the ranking member, and Mr. Coffman for their important work.
I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in passing
H.R. 4635, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I, too, encourage all Members to
support this legislation, and I want to thank both sides of the aisle
for bringing this forward.
As a physician and a veteran, I can assure you, Mr. Speaker, that
peer-to-peer counseling is the way to go. This legislation will help
our female veterans.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly encourage all Members to support this
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 4635, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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