Bill Summary
This legislation, called the "American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans Mental Health Act," aims to improve mental health and prevent suicide among minority veterans and American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. The Act includes provisions for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that each medical center has a full-time minority veteran coordinator, to provide training for these coordinators in culturally appropriate mental health and suicide prevention services, and to coordinate with suicide prevention coordinators to develop outreach plans for all tribes and urban Indian health organizations in the medical center's catchment area. The Act also requires a report to be submitted to Congress one year after its enactment, which will include information such as the number and percentage of minority veteran coordinators, the number of mental health providers who are enrolled members of a federally recognized Indian tribe, and a review of mental health care provided to American Indian and Alaska Native veterans.
Possible Impacts
1. This legislation could increase access to mental health services for minority veterans and American Indian and Alaska Native veterans by requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to have at least one full-time employee dedicated to serving as a minority veteran coordinator in each medical center.
2. The requirement for training in culturally appropriate mental health and suicide prevention services could improve the quality of care for American Indian and Alaska Native veterans, and help reduce mental health disparities among these populations.
3. The report required by the legislation could bring attention to the lack of diversity within the Department of Veterans Affairs' mental health providers and help identify areas for improvement in outreach and care for minority veterans and American Indian and Alaska Native veterans.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8068 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8068
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make certain
improvements relating to mental health and suicide prevention outreach
to minority veterans and American Indian and Alaska Native veterans,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 18, 2020
Ms. Brownley of California (for herself, Mr. Cole, and Ms. Torres Small
of New Mexico) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make certain
improvements relating to mental health and suicide prevention outreach
to minority veterans and American Indian and Alaska Native 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 ``American Indian and Alaska Native
Veterans Mental Health Act''.
SEC. 2. MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION OUTREACH TO MINORITY
VETERANS AND AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE VETERANS.
(a) Staffing Requirement.--Beginning not later than 90 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall ensure that each medical center of the Department of
Veterans Affairs has no fewer than one full-time employee whose
responsibility is serving as a minority veteran coordinator.
(b) Training.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Director
of the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention of the Department
of Veterans Affairs, shall ensure that all minority veteran
coordinators receive training in delivery of culturally appropriate
mental health and suicide prevention services to American Indian and
Alaska Native veterans, especially with respect to the identified
populations and tribes within the coordinators' catchment areas.
(c) Coordination With Suicide Prevention Coordinators.--Not later
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Mental
Health and Suicide Prevention, shall ensure that the suicide prevention
coordinator and minority veteran coordinator of each medical center of
the Department have developed and disseminated to the director of the
medical center a written plan for conducting mental health and suicide
prevention outreach to all tribes and urban Indian health organizations
within the catchment area of the medical center. Each such plan shall
include for each tribe covered by the plan--
(1) contact information for tribal leadership and the
tribal health facility or Indian Health Service facility
serving that tribe;
(2) a schedule for and list of outreach plans (including
addressing any barriers to accessing Department mental health
care); and
(3) documentation of any conversation with tribal leaders
that may guide culturally appropriate delivery of mental health
care to American Indian or Alaska Native veterans.
(d) Report.--Not later than one year after the enactment of this
Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives a report on outreach efforts to minority veterans and
American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. Such report shall include
each of the following:
(1) The number of minority veteran coordinators within the
Department.
(2) The number and percentage of minority veteran
coordinators who are women.
(3) The number and percentage of minority veteran
coordinators who are persons of color.
(4) The number and percentage of Department medical centers
with minority veteran coordinators.
(5) The number and percentage of Department mental health
providers who are enrolled members of a federally recognized
Indian tribe or self-identify as Native American.
(6) The number and percentage of Department mental health
providers who speak a second language.
(7) A review of the outreach plans developed and submitted
to all Department medical centers for outreach to American
Indian and Alaska Native veterans.
(8) A review of mental health care provided annually by the
Department to American Indian and Alaska Native veterans for
the past three years, including number of appointments, and an
assessment of any barriers to providing this care.
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