H.R. 6411 — what changed
Support The Resiliency of Our Nation’s Great Veterans Act of 2022
From Reported in House to Engrossed in House. 5 sections amended between Reported in House and Engrossed in House.
Sec. 101 Mental health and suicide prevention outreach to minority veterans and American Indian and Alaska Native veterans
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.
changed
Training— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Indian Health Service and 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 culturally appropriate for American Indian and Alaska Native veterans, especially with respect to the identified populations and tribes within the coordinators’ catchment areas.
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—
contact information for tribal leadership and the tribal health facility or Indian Health Service facility serving that tribe;
a schedule for and list of outreach plans (including addressing any barriers to accessing Department mental health care);
documentation of any conversation with tribal leaders that may guide culturally appropriate delivery of mental health care to American Indian or Alaska Native veterans;
documentation of any progress in incorporating traditional healing practices into mental health and suicide prevention protocols and options available for veterans who are members of such tribe; and
documentation of any coordination among the Department, the Indian Health Service, urban Indian health organizations, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for the purpose of improving suicide prevention efforts tailored to veterans who are members of such tribe and the provision of culturally competent mental health care to such veterans.
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:
The number of minority veteran coordinators within the Department.
The number and percentage of minority veteran coordinators who are women.
The number and percentage of minority veteran coordinators who are persons of color.
The number and percentage of Department medical centers with minority veteran coordinators.
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.
The number and percentage of Department mental health providers who speak a second language.
A review of the outreach plans developed and submitted to all Department medical centers for outreach to American Indian and Alaska Native veterans.
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.
Sec. 102 Expansion of Vet Center workforce
changed
In general— Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, Act and subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall hire an additional 100 50 full-time equivalent employees for Vet Centers to bolster the workforce of Vet Centers and to provide expanded mental health care to veterans, members of the Armed Forces, and their families through outreach, community access points, outstations, and Vet Centers.
Vet center defined— In this section, the term Vet Center has the meaning given that term in section 1712A(h) of title 38, United States Code.
Sec. 103 Expansion of mental health training for Department of Veterans Affairs
changed
In general— Not later than three years after the date of the enactment of this Act, Act and subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention and the Office of Academic Affiliations, shall add an additional 500 250 paid trainee slots in covered mental health disciplines to the workforce of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Covered mental health disciplines defined— In this section, the term covered mental health disciplines means psychiatry, psychology, advanced practice nursing (with a focus on mental health or substance use disorder), social work, licensed professional mental health counseling, and marriage and family therapy.
Sec. 222 Authorization of appropriations for research on effectiveness and opportunities for improvement of Veterans Crisis Line
changed
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal years 2022 and 2023, a total of $5,000,000 for the Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct research on the effectiveness of the Veterans Crisis Line and areas for improvement for the Veterans Crisis Line. Amounts made available pursuant to the authorization of appropriations under this section shall remain available until September 30, 2024.Line.
Sec. 301 Solid Start program of the Department of Veterans Affairs
In general— Chapter 63 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subchapter:
“II Other outreach programs and activities
“6320. Solid Start program
“(a) In general—The Secretary shall carry out a program, to be known as the “Solid Start program”, under which the Secretary shall—
“(1) build the capacity of the Department to efficiently and effectively respond to the queries and needs of veterans who have recently separated from the Armed Forces; and
“(2) systemically integrate and coordinate efforts to assist veterans, including efforts—
“(A) to proactively reach out to newly separated veterans to inform them of their eligibility for programs of and benefits provided by the Department; and
“(B) to connect veterans in crisis to resources that address their immediate needs.
“(b) Activities of the Solid Start program
“(1) The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, shall carry out the Solid Start program of the Department by—
“(A) collecting up-to-date contact information during transition classes or separation counseling for all members of the Armed Forces who are separating from the Armed Forces, while explaining the existence and purpose of the Solid Start program;
“(B) calling each veteran, regardless of separation type or characterization of service, three times within the first year after separation of the veteran from the Armed Forces;
“(C) providing information about the Solid Start program on the website of the Department and in materials of the Department, especially transition booklets and other resources;
“(D) ensuring calls are truly tailored to the needs of each veteran’s unique situation by conducting quality assurance tests;
“(E) prioritizing outreach to veterans who have accessed mental health resources prior to separation from the Armed Forces;
“(F) providing women veterans with information that is tailored to their specific health care and benefit needs;
“(G) as feasible, providing information on access to State and local resources, including Vet Centers and veterans service organizations; and
“(H) gathering and analyzing data assessing the effectiveness of the Solid Start program.
“(2) The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, may carry out the Solid Start program by—
“(A) encouraging members of the Armed Forces who are transitioning to civilian life to authorize alternate points of contact who can be reached should the member be unavailable during the first year following the separation of the member from the Armed Forces;
“(B) following up missed phone calls with tailored mailings to ensure the veteran still receives similar information; and
“(C) striving to reach out to veterans who separated prior to the initiation of the Solid Start program to provide similar services to those veterans, as feasible.
“(3) In this subsection:
“(A) The term Vet Center has the meaning given that term in section 1712A(h) of this title.
changed
“(B) The term veterans service organization means an organization recognized by the Secretary for the representation of veterans under section 5902 of this title.title.”
removed
“(c) Obligations of amounts—Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary may not, in a fiscal year, obligate an amount to carry out the Solid Start program that is less than the total amount obligated in the previous fiscal year to carry out the program, unless the Secretary determines that increased efficiencies of the program warrant the obligation of a lesser amount.”
Conforming amendments— Chapter 63 of such title, as amended by subsection (a), is further amended—
by inserting before section 6301 the following:
“I Outreach services program”
in sections 6301, 6303, 6304, 6305, 6306, and 6307, by striking “this chapter” each place it appears and inserting “this subchapter”.
Clerical amendments— The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 63 of such title is amended—
by inserting before the item relating to section 6301 the following new item:
by adding at the end the following new items: