II 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1465 

To authorize a pilot program on enhancements of Department of Defense 

efforts on mental health in the National Guard and Reserves through 

community partnerships, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 1, 2011 

Mr. REED (for himself, Ms. AYOTTE, Mr. KERRY, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. 

WHITEHOUSE, Mr. BROWN of Massachusetts, Mr. LEAHY, and Mr. 

BLUMENTHAL) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To authorize a pilot program on enhancements of Department of Defense efforts on mental health in the National 

Guard and Reserves through community partnerships, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Joining Forces for 

5 Military Mental Health Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON ENHANCEMENTS OF DEPART2 MENT OF DEFENSE EFFORTS ON MENTAL 

3 HEALTH IN THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RE4 SERVES THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTNER5 SHIPS. 

6 (a) PILOT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense 

8 may carry out a pilot program to assess the feasi9 bility and advisability of enhancing the efforts of the 

10 Department of Defense in research, treatment, edu11 cation, and outreach on mental health and substance 

12 use disorders and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in 

13 members of the National Guard and Reserves, their 

14 family members, and their caregivers through com15 munity partners described in subsection (c). 

16 (2) DURATION.—The duration of the pilot pro17 gram may not exceed three years. 

18 (b) GRANTS.—In carrying out the pilot program, the 

19 Secretary may award not more than five grants to commu20 nity partners described in subsection (c). Any grant so 

21 awarded shall be awarded using a competitive and merit22 based award process. 

23 (c) COMMUNITY PARTNERS.—A community partner 

24 described in this subsection is a private non-profit organi25 zation or institution (or multiple organizations and insti26 tutions) that— 


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1 (1) engages in each of the research, treatment, 

2 education, and outreach activities described in sub3 section (d); and 

4 (2) meets such qualifications for treatment as a 

5 community partner as the Secretary shall establish 

6 for purposes of the pilot program. 

7 (d) ACTIVITIES.—Amounts awarded under a grant 

8 under the pilot program shall be utilized by the community 

9 partner awarded the grant for one or more of the fol10 lowing: 

11 (1) To engage in research on the causes, devel12 opment, and innovative treatment of mental health 

13 and substance use disorders and Traumatic Brain 

14 Injury in members of the National Guard and Re15 serves, their family members, and their caregivers. 

16 (2) To provide treatment to such members and 

17 their families for such mental health and substance 

18 use disorders and Traumatic Brain Injury. 

19 (3) To identify and disseminate evidence-based 

20 treatments of mental health and substance use dis21 orders and Traumatic Brain Injury described in 

22 paragraph (1). 

23 (4) To provide outreach and education to such 

24 members, their families and caregivers, and the pub25 lic about mental health and substance use disorders 


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1 and Traumatic Brain Injury described in paragraph 

2 (1). 

3 (e) REQUIREMENT FOR MATCHING FUNDS.— 

4 (1) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary may award 

5 a grant under this section to an organization or in6 stitution (or organizations and institutions) only if 

7 the awardee agrees to make contributions toward the 

8 costs of activities carried out with the grant, from 

9 non-Federal sources (whether public or private), an 

10 amount equal to not less than $3 for each $1 of 

11 funds provided under the grant. 

12 (2) NATURE OF NON-FEDERAL CONTRIBU13 TIONS.—Contributions from non-Federal sources for 

14 purposes of paragraph (1) may be in cash or in15 kind, fairly evaluated. Amounts provided by the Fed16 eral Government, or services assisted or subsidized 

17 to any significant extent by the Federal Government, 

18 may not be included in determining the amount of 

19 contributions from non-Federal sources for such 

20 purposes. 

21 (f) APPLICATION.—An organization or institution (or 

22 organizations and institutions) seeking a grant under this 

23 section shall submit to the Secretary an application there24 fore in such a form and containing such information as 


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1 the Secretary considers appropriate, including the fol2 lowing: 

3 (1) A description how the activities proposed to 

4 be carried out with the grant will help improve col5 laboration and coordination on research initiatives, 

6 treatment, and education and outreach on mental 

7 health and substance use disorders and Traumatic 

8 Brain Injury among the Armed Forces. 

9 (2) A description of existing efforts by the ap10 plicant to put the research described in (c)(1) into 

11 practice. 

12 (3) If the application comes from multiple orga13 nizations and institutions, how the activities pro14 posed to be carried out with the grant would im15 prove coordination and collaboration among such or16 ganizations and institutions. 

17 (4) If the applicant proposes to provide services 

18 or treatment to members of the Armed Forces or 

19 family members using grant amounts, reasonable as20 surances that such services or treatment will be pro21 vided by a qualified provider. 

22 (5) Plans to comply with subsection (g). 

23 (g) EXCHANGE OF MEDICAL AND CLINICAL INFOR24 MATION.—A community partner awarded a grant under 

25 the pilot program shall agree to any requirements for the 


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1 sharing of medical or clinical information obtained pursu2 ant to the grant that the Secretary shall establish for pur3 poses of the pilot program. The exchange of medical or 

4 clinical information pursuant to this subsection shall com5 ply with applicable privacy and confidentiality laws. 

6 (h) DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION.—The Sec7 retary of Defense shall share with the Secretary of Vet8 erans Affairs information on best practices in research, 

9 treatment, education, and outreach on mental health and 

10 substance use disorders and Traumatic Brain Injury iden11 tified by the Secretary of Defense as a result of the pilot 

12 program. 

13 (i) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days before the 

14 completion of the pilot program, the Secretary of Defense 

15 shall submit to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and to 

16 Congress, a report on the pilot program. The report shall 

17 include the following: 

18 (1) A description of the pilot program, includ19 ing the community partners awarded grants under 

20 the pilot program, the amount of grants so awarded, 

21 and the activities carried out using such grant 

22 amounts. 

23 (2) A description of any research efforts ad24 vanced using such grant amounts. 


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1 (3) The number of members of the National 

2 Guard and Reserves provided treatment or services 

3 by community partners using such grant amounts, 

4 and a summary of the types of treatment and serv5 ices so provided. 

6 (4) A description of the education and outreach 

7 activities undertaken using such grant amounts. 

8 (5) A description of efforts to exchange clinical 

9 information under subsection (g). 

10 (6) A description and assessment of the effec11 tiveness and achievements of the pilot program with 

12 respect to research, treatment, education, and out13 reach on mental health and substance use disorders 

14 and Traumatic Brain Injury. 

15 (7) Such recommendations as the Secretary of 

16 Defense considers appropriate in light of the pilot 

17 program on the utilization of organizations and in18 stitutions such as community partners under the 

19 pilot program in efforts of the Department described 

20 in subsection (a). 

21 (8) A description of the metrics used by the 

22 Secretary in making recommendations under para23 graph (7). 

24 (j) AVAILABLE FUNDS.—Funds for the pilot program 

25 shall be derived from amounts authorized to be approVerDate Mar 15 2010 05:28 Aug 02, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1465.IS S1465

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1 priated for the Department of Defense for Defense Health 

2 Program and otherwise available for obligation and ex3 penditure. 

4 (k) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the terms ‘‘family 

5 member’’ and ‘‘caregiver’’, in the case of a member of the 

6 National Guard or Reserves, have the meaning given such 

7 terms in section 1720G(d) of title 38, United States Code, 

8 with respect to a veteran. 

Æ 


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