Veteran Urgent Access to Mental Healthcare Act

Summary: Veteran Urgent Access to Mental Healthcare Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a program to provide former members of the Armed Forces with: (1) an initial mental health assessment; and (2) health care services required to treat the former member's urgent mental health care needs, including risk of suicide or harming others.   A former member of the Armed Forces is an individual who meets either of the following criteria:   the individual is a former member of the Armed Forces, including the reserve components, who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and was discharged or released under a condition less than honorable (except a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge by reason of a general court martial), has applied for a character of service determination that has not yet been made, and is not otherwise eligible to enroll in the VA health care system by reason of such discharge or release; or  the individual is a veteran not otherwise eligible for VA health care.  The VA may provide such mental health care services pursuant to a contract with a qualified mental health professional if: (1) the receipt of mental health care services by an individual in VA facilities would be clinically inadvisable, or (2) VA facilities are not capable of furnishing such mental health care services to that individual economically because of geographical inaccessibility.  The VA shall seek to enter into a contract with an independent nongovernmental entity to study the effect combat service has had on suicide rates and serious mental health issues among veterans.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veteran Urgent Access to Mental 
Healthcare Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF INITIAL AND URGENT MENTAL HEALTH CARE FOR CERTAIN 
              FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 1720G the following new section:
``Sec. 1720H. Provision of initial and urgent mental health care for 
              certain former members not otherwise eligible for care
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall operate a program under 
which the Secretary provides to former members of the Armed Forces 
described in subsection (b)--
            ``(1) an initial mental health assessment; and
            ``(2) any health care services authorized under this 
        chapter that the Secretary determines are required to treat the 
        urgent mental health care needs of the former member, including 
        risk of suicide or harming others.
    ``(b) Former Members of the Armed Forces Described.--A former 
member of the Armed Forces described in this subsection is an 
individual who meets either of the following criteria:
            ``(1) The individual is a former member of the Armed 
        Forces, including the reserve components, who--
                    ``(A) served in the active military, naval, or air 
                service, and was discharged or released therefrom under 
                a condition that is not honorable except--
                            ``(i) dishonorable; or
                            ``(ii) bad conduct by reason of the 
                        sentence of a general court martial;
                    ``(B) has applied for a character of service 
                determination and such determination has not been made; 
                and
                    ``(C) is not otherwise eligible to enroll in the 
                health care system established by section 1705 of this 
                title by reason of such discharge or release not 
                meeting the requirements of section 101(2) of this 
                title.
            ``(2) The individual is a veteran described in section 
        1705(a)(8) of this title.
    ``(c) Contract.--In furnishing mental health care services to an 
individual under this section, the Secretary may provide such mental 
health care services pursuant to a contract with a qualified mental 
health professional if--
            ``(1) in the judgment of a mental health professional 
        employed by the Department, the receipt of mental health care 
        services by that individual in facilities of the Department 
        would be clinically inadvisable; or
            ``(2) facilities of the Department are not capable of 
        furnishing such mental health care services to that individual 
        economically because of geographical inaccessibility.
    ``(d) Training.--In establishing a program to provide mental health 
care services under subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) provide for appropriate training of mental health 
        professionals and such other health care personnel as the 
        Secretary determines necessary to carry out the program 
        effectively;
            ``(2) seek to ensure that such mental health care services 
        is furnished in a setting that is therapeutically appropriate, 
        taking into account the circumstances that resulted in the need 
        for such mental health care services; and
            ``(3) provide referral services to assist former members 
        who are not eligible for services under this chapter to obtain 
        those from sources outside the Department.
    ``(e) Information.--The Secretary shall provide information on the 
mental health care services available under this section. Efforts by 
the Secretary to provide such information--
            ``(1) shall include availability of a toll-free telephone 
        number (commonly referred to as an 800 number);
            ``(2) shall ensure that information about the mental health 
        care services available under this section--
                    ``(A) is revised and updated as appropriate;
                    ``(B) is made available and visibly posted at 
                appropriate facilities of the Department; and
                    ``(C) is made available through appropriate public 
                information services; and
            ``(3) shall include coordination with the Secretary of 
        Defense seeking to ensure that members of the Armed Forces and 
        individuals who are being separated from active military, 
        naval, or air service are provided appropriate information 
        about programs, requirements, and procedures for applying for 
        mental health care services under this section.
    ``(f) Annual Reports.--Each year, the Secretary shall submit to 
Congress an annual report on the mental health care services provided 
pursuant to this section. Each report shall include data for the year 
covered by the report with respect to each of the following:
            ``(1) The number of individuals who received mental health 
        care services under subsection (a), disaggregated by the number 
        of men who received such services and the number of women who 
        received such services.
            ``(2) Such other information as the Secretary considers 
        appropriate.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 1720G the following new item:

``1720H. Provision of initial and urgent mental health care not 
                            otherwise eligible for care.''.
    (c) Study on Effect of Combat Service on Suicide Rates.--
            (1) Study.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in 
        consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall seek to enter 
        into a contract with an independent nongovernmental entity to 
        carry out a study on the effect combat service has had on 
        suicide rates and serious mental health issues among veterans. 
        To the extent practicable, such study shall--
                    (A) compare the rate and method of suicides among 
                veterans who have received mental health care services 
                from the Veterans Health Administration and veterans 
                who have not received such services from the Veterans 
                Health Administration; and
                    (B) compare the rate and method of suicides and the 
                incidence of serious mental health issues among 
                veterans who have served in combat and veterans who 
                have not served in combat.
            (2) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
        submit to Congress a report containing the study conducted 
        under paragraph (1).