Community Provider Readiness Recognition Act of 2015
Directs the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to jointly develop a system by which a non-Department mental health care provider who provides health care to members of the Armed Forces or veterans shall receive a mental health provider readiness designation if such provider meets eligibility criteria relating to: (1) knowledge, comfort, and understanding with respect to the culture of members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and family members and caregivers of such members and veterans; and (2) knowledge regarding evidence-based treatments that have been approved by such Departments for the treatment of mental health issues among such members and veterans.
Requires such Departments to: (1) jointly establish and update a registry, which shall be available to the public, of all non-Department mental health care providers that are currently so designated, and (2) update all lists maintained by such Departments of such non-Department providers by indicating the providers that are currently so designated.
[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 717 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 717
To designate certain non-Department mental health care providers who
treat members of the Armed Forces and veterans as providers who have
particular knowledge relating to the provision of mental health care to
members of the Armed Forces and veterans, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 11, 2015
Mr. Donnelly (for himself and Mrs. Ernst) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To designate certain non-Department mental health care providers who
treat members of the Armed Forces and veterans as providers who have
particular knowledge relating to the provision of mental health care to
members of the Armed Forces and 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 ``Community Provider Readiness
Recognition Act of 2015''.
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF CERTAIN NON-DEPARTMENT MENTAL HEALTH CARE
PROVIDERS WITH KNOWLEDGE RELATING TO TREATMENT OF MEMBERS
OF THE ARMED FORCES AND VETERANS.
(a) Mental Health Provider Readiness Designation.--
(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly develop a system by
which any non-Department mental health care provider that meets
eligibility criteria jointly established by such Secretaries
relating to the knowledge described in paragraph (2) receives a
mental health provider readiness designation from the
Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(2) Knowledge.--The knowledge described in this paragraph
is the following:
(A) Knowledge, comfort, and understanding with
respect to the culture of members of the Armed Forces,
veterans, and family members and caregivers of members
of the Armed Forces and veterans.
(B) Knowledge with respect to evidence-based
treatments that have been approved by the Department of
Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs for the
treatment of mental health issues among members of the
Armed Forces and veterans.
(b) Availability of Information on Designation.--
(1) Registry.--The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs shall jointly establish and update a
registry that is available to the public of all non-Department
mental health care providers that are currently designated
under subsection (a)(1).
(2) Provider list.--The Secretary concerned shall update
all lists maintained by such Secretary of non-Department mental
health care providers that provide mental health care under the
laws administered by such Secretary by indicating the providers
that are currently designated under subsection (a)(1); and
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Non-department mental health care provider.--The term
``non-Department mental health care provider''--
(A) means a health care provider that--
(i) specializes in mental health;
(ii) is not a health care provider of the
Department of Defense or the Department of
Veterans Affairs; and
(iii) provides health care to members of
the Armed Forces or veterans; and
(B) includes psychiatrists, psychologists,
psychiatric nurses, social workers, mental health
counselors, marriage and family therapists, and other
mental health care providers designated by the
Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
(2) Secretary concerned.--The term ``Secretary concerned''
means--
(A) the Secretary of Defense with respect to
matters concerning the Department of Defense; and
(B) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with respect
to matters concerning the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-242.
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