Educating to Prevent Eating Disorders Act of 2015

To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a pilot program to test the impact of early intervention on the prevention, management, and course of eating disorders. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Educating to Prevent Eating Disorders Act of 2015 2. Pilot program to test impact of early intervention on eating disorders Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 280g et seq. 399V–6. Pilot program to test impact of early intervention on eating disorders (a) In general The Secretary, through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, may establish a pilot program, for a period of three consecutive school years, to test the impact of providing students in eligible schools with interventions to prevent, identify, intervene, and manage eating disorders. (b) Grants (1) In general Under such pilot program, the Secretary shall award grants to eligible schools. Each such grant shall be for the period of the pilot program. (2) Uses Each eligible school receiving a grant under the pilot program shall use such grant to— (A) develop best practices, in accordance, as appropriate, with input from research experts in the eating disorders field, for eligible health care providers to assess and recognize students with eating disorders and to respond appropriately; (B) hire an eligible health care provider to— (i) in accordance with the best practices developed pursuant to subparagraph (A), assess and recognize whether students in grades 6 through 8 attending such school have eating disorders and respond appropriately to individuals with eating disorders among students attending such school, including by providing counsel and by referral; (ii) provide educational information and seminars, developed in partnership with research experts in the field of eating disorders, to teachers at such school and parents of students attending such school to assist such teachers and parents in recognizing the symptoms of eating disorders and understanding how to seek help and intervention; and (iii) otherwise serve as a full-time health care provider for such school. (c) Eligible school For purposes of this section, the term eligible school (1) serves students in grades 6 through 8; (2) submits to the Secretary, through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, an application to participate in the pilot program, containing such information as specified by the Secretary, through the Director; (3) is assessed as having a need for a school nurse trained in assessing students to recognize and respond to eating disorders; and (4) is selected by the Secretary, through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, in a manner such that schools are selected in each of the regions served by a regional office of the Department of Health and Human Services. (d) Eligible health care provider For purposes of this section, the term eligible health care provider (e) Reports (1) In general Not later than 6 months after the last day of the pilot program, each eligible school participating in the pilot program shall submit to the Secretary of Health and Human Services a report evaluating the process and the outcomes of the pilot program, with respect to such school, during the period of the program. Each such report, with respect to an eligible school, shall include at least the following: (A) The number of students assessed under the pilot program at such school, presented by age, sex, and ethnicity. (B) The number of students identified under the pilot program at such school during such program as potentially in need of referral and counseling, the number of such students that participated in counseling and follow-up referrals, and the number of such students who showed improvement based on follow up assessments. (C) The number of educational seminars described in subsection (b)(2)(B) provided under the pilot program at such school, presented by categories of parents and teachers. (D) The number of parents and teachers that indicated they needed more information or assistance in responding to a potential problem relating to eating disorders. (E) An evaluation of best practices which worked best for the student population of the eligible school. (2) Posting on AHRQ website Not later than 12 months after the last day of the pilot program, the Secretary shall post on the public Internet website of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality aggregate information on the pilot program described in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of paragraph (1) based on the information submitted under such paragraph. (f) No additional authorization of appropriations Amounts otherwise made available to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for purposes of surveillance activities shall be made available to carry out this section. No amounts other than those made available pursuant to the previous sentence are authorized for appropriation to carry out this section. .

Summary: Educating to Prevent Eating Disorders Act of 2015 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to permit the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to establish a pilot program to provide students with interventions for eating disorders. Under this pilot program, grants must be awarded to schools that serve students in grades 6-8 and need a nurse trained in recognizing and responding to eating disorders. Schools must use these grants to develop best practices for health care providers to assess, recognize, and respond to students with eating disorders and to hire a health care provider to: (1) follow these best practices, (2) provide information and seminars on eating disorders to teachers and parents, and (3) otherwise serve as a full time health care provider for the school.