Veterans and Survivors Behavioral Health Awareness Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide scholarships to individuals pursuing education or training in behavioral health care specialties that are critical to the operations of Vet Centers (centers for readjustment counseling and related mental health services for veterans) in order to recruit and retain individuals with such specialties for service in Vet Centers. Conditions the scholarship on the recipient's agreeing to serve in such a capacity for whatever period the Secretary specifies in the agreement.
Directs the Secretary, on receipt of a request for counseling from an individual who has been discharged or released from active service, to: (1) provide referrals to assist the individual in obtaining mental health care and services outside the VA; and (2) if pertinent, advise such individual of the individual's rights to apply for review of the discharge or release.
Directs the Secretary to award grants to nonprofit organizations that provide emotional support services for survivors of deceased members of the Armed Forces and deceased veterans through the survivors' peers.
[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2698 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2698
To improve and enhance the mental health care benefits available to
veterans, to enhance counseling and other benefits available to
survivors of veterans, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 4, 2009
Ms. Giffords introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve and enhance the mental health care benefits available to
veterans, to enhance counseling and other benefits available to
survivors of veterans, 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 ``Veterans and Survivors Behavioral
Health Awareness Act''.
SEC. 2. SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH CARE SPECIALISTS FOR VET CENTERS.
(a) Program Required.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, acting
through the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, shall carry out a program to provide scholarships to
individuals pursuing education or training in behavioral health care
specialties that are critical to the operations of Vet Centers in order
to recruit and retain individuals with such specialties for service as
behavioral health care specialists in Vet Centers.
(b) Eligibility.--An individual shall be eligible for a scholarship
under the program under this section if the individual--
(1) is pursuing education or training leading to licensure
or other certified proficiency in such behavioral health care
specialties critical to the operations of Vet Centers as the
Secretary shall designate for purposes of the program; and
(2) otherwise meets such other criteria or requirements as
the Secretary shall establish for purposes of the program.
(c) Amount.--The amount of any scholarship provided under the
program under this section shall be determined by the Secretary.
(d) Agreement To Serve as Behavioral Health Care Specialist in Vet
Centers.--As a condition of receipt of a scholarship under the program
under this section, an individual receiving a scholarship shall enter
into an agreement with the Secretary to serve as an employee of a Vet
Center in the behavioral health care specialty of the individual for
such period as the Secretary shall specify in the agreement.
(e) Repayment.--Each agreement under subsection (c) shall contain
such provisions as the Under Secretary shall establish for purposes of
the program under this section relating to repayment of the amount of a
scholarship provided under this section in the event the individual
entering into such agreement does not fulfill the service requirements
in such agreement. Such provisions shall apply, to the maximum extent
practicable, uniformly to all recipients of scholarships provided under
this section.
(f) Funding.--(1) Amounts for scholarships under the program under
this section shall be derived from amounts available to the Secretary
for readjustment benefits.
(2) The total amount available for scholarships under the program
under this section in any fiscal year may not exceed $2,000,000.
(g) Vet Centers Defined.--In this section, the term ``Vet Centers''
means the centers for readjustment counseling and related mental health
services for veterans under section 1712A of title 38, United States
Code.
SEC. 3. RESTORATION OF AUTHORITY OF VETS CENTERS TO PROVIDE REFERRAL
AND OTHER ASSISTANCE UPON REQUEST TO FORMER MEMBERS OF
THE ARMED FORCES NOT AUTHORIZED COUNSELING.
Section 1712A of title 38, United States Code, is amended by
inserting after subsection (b) the following new subsection (c):
``(c) Upon receipt of a request for counseling under this section
from any individual who has been discharged or released from active
military, naval, or air service but who is not otherwise eligible for
such counseling, the Secretary shall--
``(1) provide referral services to assist such individual,
to the maximum extent practicable, in obtaining mental health
care and services from sources outside the Department; and
``(2) if pertinent, advise such individual of such
individual's rights to apply to the appropriate military,
naval, or air service, and to the Department, for review of
such individual's discharge or release from such service.''.
SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE PROVISION OF
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES TO SURVIVORS OF MEMBERS OF THE
ARMED FORCES AND VETERANS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out
a program to award grants to nonprofit organizations that provide
emotional support services for survivors of deceased members of the
Armed Forces (including members of the National Guard and Reserve) and
deceased veterans through peers of such survivors.
(b) Award of Grants.--
(1) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant under the
program under this section, a nonprofit organization shall meet
such criteria as the Secretary shall establish for purposes of
the program.
(2) Application.--A nonprofit organization seeking a grant
under the program shall submit to the Secretary an application
for the grant in such form and manner as the Secretary shall
specify for purposes of the program.
(c) Grants.--
(1) Amount.--The amount of each grant awarded a nonprofit
organization under the program under this section shall be such
amount as the Secretary determines appropriate for purposes of
the program.
(2) Duration.--The duration of each grant awarded a
nonprofit organization shall be such period as the Secretary
determines appropriate for purposes of the program.
(d) Use of Grant Funds.--Each nonprofit organization awarded a
grant under the program under this section shall utilize amounts under
the grant to provide such emotional support services for survivors of
deceased members of the Armed Forces (including members of the National
Guard and Reserve) and deceased veterans through peers of such
survivors as the Secretary shall specify in the grant.
(e) Funding.--Amounts for grants under the program under this
section shall be derived from amounts authorized to be appropriated for
the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
<all>
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H2698)
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
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