S 2585
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2585
To provide for the enhancement of the suicide prevention programs
of the Department of Defense, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 31, 2008
Mr. HARKIN (for himself, Mr. HAGEL, Mr. OBAMA, Mr. BAUCUS, Mr. DODD,
Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. CASEY, and Mr. WEBB) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services
A BILL
To provide for the enhancement of the suicide prevention programs
of the Department of Defense, 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 `Armed Forces Suicide Prevention Act of
2008'.
SEC. 2. ENHANCEMENT OF SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAMS OF THE DEPARTMENT
OF DEFENSE.
(a) Enhancement of Suicide Prevention Programs- The Secretary of Defense
shall take appropriate actions to enhance the suicide prevention programs
of the Department of Defense.
(b) Training and Additional Requirements for Members of the Armed Forces-
The actions taken under subsection (a) shall include the following:
(1) A review and evaluation of existing suicide prevention efforts
across the military departments, including an assessment of the effectiveness
of current efforts and of how such efforts are addressing issues related
to combat stress.
(2) A requirement for suicide prevention training (as described in
subsection (c)) on an annual basis for all members of the Armed Forces
(including members of the National Guard and Reserve), for all civilian
health care community and family support professionals of the Department
of Defense, and for such other service personnel of the Department
as the Secretary shall designate for purposes of this paragraph.
(3) Enhancement of the basic lifesaving training course for members
of the Armed Forces to include within such training matters relating
to recognition of risk factors for suicide, identification of signs
and symptoms of mental health concerns and combat stress, and protocols
for responding to crisis situations involving members of the Armed
Forces who may be at high risk for suicide.
(4) Enhancement of training for military medics and medical personnel
to include within such training matters relating to recognition of
risk factors for suicide, identification of signs and symptoms of
mental health concerns and combat stress, and protocols for responding
to crisis situations involving members of the Armed Forces who may
be at high risk for suicide.
(5) Review and enhancement of requirements for access of units to
crisis response teams to prevent and respond to traumatic events,
such as members in crisis or loss of unit members, which teams shall
include qualified mental health professionals and may include medical
staff, chaplains, family support staff, peers, and other appropriate
personnel.
(c) Suicide Prevention Training- For purposes of this section, suicide
prevention training is comprehensive training on suicide prevention
(including, at a minimum, education, training, peer-to-peer support
methods, outreach, and de-stigmatization on suicide) developed by the
Secretary of Defense for purposes of this section in consultation with
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the National Institute of Mental
Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
of the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
(1) IN GENERAL- The actions taken under subsection (a) shall include
a campaign of outreach throughout the Armed Forces and the military
family communities intended to--
(A) reduce the stigma among members of the Armed Forces and their
families, and in such communities, associated with mental health
concerns;
(B) encourage members of the Armed Forces and individuals in such
communities to seek help with such concerns;
(C) increase awareness among members of the Armed Forces and in
such communities that mental health is essential to overall health;
and
(D) increase awareness among members of the Armed Forces and in
such communities regarding substance abuse concerns, relationship
and financial difficulties, and legal and occupational difficulties.
(2) PUBLIC ADDRESSES- As part of the campaign of outreach, the Secretary
shall provide for the inclusion in addresses to veterans service organizations
and other public addresses, and in other public speeches, by senior
officials of the Department of Defense of the themes of the importance
of mental health, and the importance of seeking help on mental health
concerns and stress on military family members, for members of the
Armed Forces, veterans, and their families.
(e) Post-Deployment Assistance for Spouses and Parents of Returning
Members-
(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall provide spouses and parents of
members of the Armed Forces, including members of the National Guard
and Reserve, who are returning from deployment assistance in--
(A) understanding issues that arise in the readjustment of such
members--
(i) for members of the National Guard and Reserve, to civilian
life; and
(ii) for members of the regular components of the Armed Forces,
to military life in a non-combat environment;
(B) identifying signs and symptoms of substance abuse, mental health
conditions, traumatic brain injury, and risk factors for suicide;
and
(C) encouraging such members and their families in seeking assistance
for such conditions and in seeking assistance on relationship, financial,
legal, and occupational difficulties.
(2) INFORMATION ON AVAILABLE RESOURCES- In providing assistance under
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall provide information on the national
suicide prevention hotline, local resources for mental health services,
family counseling services, or other appropriate services, including
services available from both military providers of such services and
community-based providers of such services.
(3) TIMING- The Secretary shall provide resources under paragraph
(1) with respect to a member of the Armed Forces not later than six
months after the date of the return of such member from deployment.
(f) Assessment of Actions-
(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall provide for an evaluation and
assessment of the actions undertaken under this section by an appropriate
non-Federal Government entity selected by the Secretary for purposes
of this subsection. The Secretary may provide for the evaluation and
assessment by contract or other cooperative agreement with, or by
grant to, the entity so selected.
(2) ELEMENTS- In conducting the evaluation and assessment required
under paragraph (1), the entity selected under that paragraph shall
evaluate and assess the effectiveness of the actions taken under this
section in reducing the incidence of suicide among members of the
Armed Forces, including--
(A) the extent to which the actions taken under this section effectively
targeted members of the Armed Forces and their families; and
(B) the extent to which the actions taken under this section increased
awareness among members of the Armed Forces and their families on
risk factors for suicide.
SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS ON SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES.
(a) Report Required- Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Defense shall
submit to Congress a report on the programs and activities of the Secretary
of Defense to reduce the incidence of suicide among members of the Armed
Forces.
(b) Elements- Each report under this section shall include the following:
(1) The total number of suicides among members of the Armed Forces
during the period beginning on January 1, 2002, and ending at the
end of the most recent calendar year quarter preceding the submittal
of such report, including the number of suicides confirmed and the
number of deaths being investigated as a suicide, set forth--
(A) by calendar year quarter in which death occurred;
(B) by military department of the members concerned; and
(C) by whether death occurred while the members concerned were deployed
or while assigned to permanent duty station or homeport.
(2) A description of the status of the program required by section
2, including, for the first three reports under this section, a current
description of the implementation of the program, including the costs
of implementation of the program.
(3) A description of the coordination of the program with suicide
prevention efforts of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(4) In the case of the first report under this section, a plan for
additional programs and activities to reduce the incidence of suicide
among current and former members of the Armed Forces.
(5) Such recommendations for additional legislative or administrative
action as the Secretary considers appropriate to improve and enhance
the suicide prevention programs and activities of the Department of
Defense.
(c) Consultation- In developing the plan required by subsection (b)(4),
the Secretary of Defense shall consult with the following:
(1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
(2) The National Institute of Mental Health.
(3) The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
of the Department of Health and Human Services.
(4) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
SEC. 4. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FOR UNIFORMED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
The Secretary of Defense may award grants to, and enter into contracts
and cooperative agreements with, such entities as the Secretary considers
appropriate to identify and implement within the Department of Defense
innovative and effective strategies for the recruitment and retention
of qualified uniformed behavioral health professionals to provide mental
health services, and substance abuse disorder prevention and treatment
services, for members of the Armed Forces.
SEC. 5. REDUCING THE STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH SEEKING MENTAL HEALTH
TREATMENT.
The Secretary of Defense may award grants to, and enter into contracts
and cooperative agreements with, such entities as the Secretary considers
appropriate to identify and implement within the Department of Defense
innovative and effective strategies for reducing the stigma associated
with seeking mental health treatment.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is hereby authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2009 for
the Department of Defense $6,000,000 to carry out this Act.
END
