II 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1583 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct an education program 

and peer support program for the education and training of family 

members and caregivers of veterans with mental health disorders. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 28, 2013 

Mr. SANDERS introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct 

an education program and peer support program for 

the education and training of family members and caregivers of veterans with mental health disorders. 

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 ‘‘Mental Health Support 

5 for Veteran Families and Caregivers Act of 2013’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. EDUCATION PROGRAM AND PEER SUPPORT PRO2 GRAM FOR FAMILY MEMBERS AND CARE3 GIVERS OF VETERANS WITH MENTAL 

4 HEALTH DISORDERS. 

5 (a) PROGRAMS.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 270 days 

7 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec8 retary of Veterans Affairs shall establish an edu9 cation program (in this section referred to as the 

10 ‘‘education program’’) and a peer support program 

11 (in this section referred to as the ‘‘peer support pro12 gram’’) for the education and training of family 

13 members and caregivers of eligible veterans with 

14 mental health disorders. 

15 (2) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

16 (A) FAMILY MEMBER; CAREGIVER.—The 

17 terms ‘‘family member’’ and ‘‘caregiver’’ have 

18 the meaning given those terms in section 

19 1720G(d) of title 38, United States Code. 

20 (B) ELIGIBLE VETERAN.—The term ‘‘eligi21 ble veteran’’ means a veteran who is enrolled in 

22 the health care system established under section 

23 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code. 

24 (b) EDUCATION PROGRAM.— 

25 (1) IN GENERAL.—Under the education pro26 gram, the Secretary shall provide a course of eduVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:22 Oct 29, 2013 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1583.IS S1583

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1 cation to family members and caregivers of eligible 

2 veterans on matters relating to coping with mental 

3 health disorders in veterans. 

4 (2) DURATION.— 

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—The education program 

6 shall be carried out during the four-year period 

7 beginning on the date of the commencement of 

8 the education program. 

9 (B) AUTHORITY FOR EXTENSION.—The 

10 Secretary may extend the duration of the edu11 cation program for an additional four years. 

12 (3) LOCATIONS.— 

13 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as required by 

14 subparagraph (C), the Secretary shall carry out 

15 the education program at the following facilities 

16 of the Department of Veterans Affairs: 

17 (i) Not less than 10 medical centers of 

18 the Department. 

19 (ii) Not less than 10 clinics of the De20 partment. 

21 (iii) Not less than 10 centers for read22 justment counseling and related mental 

23 health services for veterans under section 

24 1712A of title 38, United States Code 

25 (commonly referred to as ‘‘vet centers’’). 


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1 (B) CONSIDERATIONS.—In selecting loca2 tions for the program, the Secretary shall con3 sider the feasibility and advisability of selecting 

4 locations in the following areas: 

5 (i) Rural areas. 

6 (ii) Areas that are not in close prox7 imity to an active duty installation. 

8 (iii) Areas in different geographic lo9 cations. 

10 (C) EXPANSION OF LOCATIONS.—Not later 

11 than two years after the date of the commence12 ment of the education program, the Secretary 

13 shall expand the number of facilities at which 

14 the Secretary is carrying out the education pro15 gram to include the following: 

16 (i) Not less than 10 additional med17 ical centers of the Department. 

18 (ii) Not less than 10 additional clinics 

19 of the Department. 

20 (iii) Not less than 10 additional vet 

21 centers. 

22 (4) CONTRACTS.— 

23 (A) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the 

24 education program, the Secretary shall enter 

25 into contracts with qualified entities described 


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1 in subparagraph (B) to offer the course of edu2 cation described in paragraph (5) to family 

3 members and caregivers of eligible veterans and 

4 covered veterans. 

5 (B) QUALIFIED ENTITY DESCRIBED.—A 

6 qualified entity described in this subparagraph 

7 is a non-profit entity with experience in mental 

8 health education and outreach, including work 

9 with children, teens, and young adults, that— 

10 (i) uses high quality, relevant, and 

11 age-appropriate information in educational 

12 programming, materials, and coursework, 

13 including such programming, materials, 

14 and coursework for children, teens, and 

15 young adults; and 

16 (ii) works with agencies, departments, 

17 nonprofit mental health organizations, 

18 early childhood educators, and mental 

19 health providers to develop educational 

20 programming, materials, and coursework. 

21 (C) PRIORITY.—In entering into contracts 

22 under this paragraph, the Secretary shall give 

23 priority to qualified entities that, to the max24 imum extent practicable, use Internet tech25 nology for the delivery of course content in an 


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1 effort to expand the availability of support serv2 ices, especially in rural areas. 

3 (5) ELEMENTS.—The course of education de4 scribed in this paragraph shall consist of not less 

5 than 10 weeks of education and shall include the fol6 lowing: 

7 (A) General education on different mental 

8 health disorders, including information to im9 prove understanding of the experiences of indi10 viduals suffering from those disorders. 

11 (B) Techniques for handling crisis situa12 tions and administering mental health first aid 

13 to individuals suffering from mental health dis14 orders. 

15 (C) Techniques for coping with the stress 

16 of living with someone with a mental health dis17 order. 

18 (D) Information on additional services 

19 available for family members and caregivers 

20 through the Department or community organi21 zations and providers related to mental health 

22 disorders. 

23 (E) Such other matters as the Secretary 

24 considers appropriate. 

25 (6) INSTRUCTORS.— 


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1 (A) TRAINING.—Each instructor of the 

2 course of education described in paragraph (5) 

3 shall maintain a level of proficiency in the 

4 course of education as determined by the Sec5 retary, and shall submit proof of that level of 

6 proficiency to the Secretary at such time and in 

7 such manner as the Secretary determines ap8 propriate. 

9 (B) INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE COMPLETED

10 THE COURSE AS INSTRUCTORS.—Commencing 

11 as of the date that is two years after the date 

12 of the commencement of the education pro13 gram, any individual who has successfully com14 pleted the course of education described in 

15 paragraph (5) and has successfully completed 

16 such additional training as is required for in17 structors pursuant to subparagraph (A) may 

18 act as an instructor in the course of education. 

19 (7) MONITORING OF INSTRUCTION.— 

20 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall se21 lect mental health care providers of the Depart22 ment to monitor, in consultation with primary 

23 care providers, the progress of the instruction 

24 provided under the education program. Such 

25 mental health care providers shall carry out 


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1 such monitoring by meeting quarterly with in2 structors of the course of education described in 

3 paragraph (5). 

4 (B) REPORT.—Not less frequently than 

5 semiannually, each mental health care provider 

6 selected under subparagraph (A) shall submit 

7 to the Secretary a report on the progress of the 

8 instruction provided under the education pro9 gram. 

10 (c) PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—Under the peer support pro12 gram, the Secretary shall provide peer support to 

13 family members and caregivers of eligible veterans 

14 on matters relating to coping with mental health dis15 orders in veterans. 

16 (2) LOCATIONS.—The Secretary shall provide 

17 peer support under the peer support program at 

18 each location at which the Secretary provides edu19 cation under the education program. 

20 (3) ELEMENTS.—Peer support under the peer 

21 support program shall consist of meetings in group 

22 settings between a peer support coordinator under 

23 paragraph (4) and family members and caregivers of 

24 eligible veterans on matters relating to coping with 

25 mental health disorders in veterans. At each locaVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:22 Oct 29, 2013 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1583.IS S1583

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1 tion, those meetings shall be conducted not less 

2 often than twice each calendar quarter. 

3 (4) PEER SUPPORT COORDINATOR.— 

4 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting 

5 through the director of each participating facil6 ity, shall select an individual who has success7 fully completed the course of education de8 scribed in subsection (b)(5) to serve as a peer 

9 support coordinator for each such facility to 

10 carry out the peer support program. 

11 (B) PROFICIENCY OF INSTRUCTORS.— 

12 Each peer support coordinator shall maintain a 

13 level of proficiency in peer support as deter14 mined by the Secretary, and shall submit proof 

15 of that level of proficiency to the Secretary at 

16 such time and in such manner as the Secretary 

17 determines appropriate. 

18 (5) MENTORS.—The Secretary shall select a 

19 mental health care provider of the Department to 

20 serve as a mentor to each peer support coordinator. 

21 (6) MONITORING OF PEER SUPPORT COORDINA22 TORS.—The mental health care providers of the De23 partment selected under subsection (b)(7) shall— 


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1 (A) monitor the progress of the peer sup2 port program by meeting quarterly with peer 

3 support coordinators; and 

4 (B) not less frequently than semiannually, 

5 submit to the Secretary a report on the 

6 progress of the peer support program. 

7 (d) SURVEYS.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct 

9 a comprehensive and statistically significant survey 

10 of the satisfaction of individuals that have partici11 pated in the course of education described in sub12 section (b)(5) and individuals that have participated 

13 in the peer support program that includes the fol14 lowing: 

15 (A) The general satisfaction of those indi16 viduals with the education and assistance pro17 vided in the education program and the peer 

18 support program. 

19 (B) The perceived effectiveness of the edu20 cation program and the peer support program 

21 in providing education and assistance that is 

22 useful for those individuals. 

23 (C) The applicability of the education pro24 gram and the peer support program to the 

25 issues faced by those individuals. 


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1 (D) Such other matters as the Secretary 

2 considers appropriate. 

3 (E) A representative sample of the infor4 mation required by subparagraphs (A) through 

5 (D) from each Veterans Integrated Service Net6 work that is participating in the education pro7 gram and the peer support program. 

8 (2) COMPILATION OF INFORMATION.—The in9 formation compiled as a result of the surveys re10 quired by paragraph (1) shall be included in the an11 nual report required by subsection (e)(1). 

12 (e) REPORTS.— 

13 (1) ANNUAL REPORT.— 

14 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 

15 after the date of the commencement of the edu16 cation program and not later than September 

17 30 each year thereafter until 2017, the Sec18 retary shall submit to the Committee on Vet19 erans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee 

20 on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Represent21 atives a report on the education program and 

22 the peer support program. 

23 (B) ELEMENTS.—Each report submitted 

24 under subparagraph (A) shall include the fol25 lowing: 


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1 (i) The number of individuals that 

2 participated in the course of education de3 scribed in subsection (b)(5) during the 

4 year preceding the submission of the re5 port. 

6 (ii) The number of individuals that 

7 participated in the peer support program 

8 during the year preceding the submission 

9 of the report. 

10 (iii) A detailed analysis of the surveys 

11 conducted under subsection (d) with re12 spect to the individuals described in clause 

13 (i) and (ii). 

14 (iv) A summary of feedback with re15 spect to the education program and the 

16 peer support program received from the 

17 mentors selected under subsection (c)(5) 

18 and the monitors selected under subsection 

19 (b)(7). 

20 (v) The degree to which veterans and 

21 family members and caregivers of veterans 

22 are aware of the eligibility requirements 

23 for enrollment in the education program 

24 and the peer support program. 


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1 (vi) Any plans for expansion of the 

2 education program and the peer support 

3 program. 

4 (vii) The interim findings and conclu5 sions of the Secretary with respect to the 

6 success of the education program and the 

7 peer support program. 

8 (2) FINAL REPORT.— 

9 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 

10 after the completion of the education program, 

11 the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 

12 Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Com13 mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 

14 Representatives a report on the feasibility and 

15 advisability of continuing the education pro16 gram and the peer support program. 

17 (B) ELEMENTS.—The report submitted 

18 under subparagraph (A) shall include the fol19 lowing: 

20 (i) A detailed analysis of the surveys 

21 conducted under subsection (d). 

22 (ii) The feasibility and advisability of 

23 continuing the education program without 

24 entering into contracts for the course of 

25 education described in subsection (b)(5) 


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1 and instead using peer support coordina2 tors selected under subsection (c)(4) as in3 structors of the course of education. 

4 (iii) The feasibility and advisability of 

5 expanding the education program and the 

6 peer support program. 

Æ 


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