Military and Veterans Mental Health Provider Assessment Act of 2015

To improve the provision of mental health care to members of the Armed Forces and veterans from the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Military and Veterans Mental Health Provider Assessment Act of 2015 2. Improvement of mental health care provided by health care providers of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs (a) Training on recognition and management of risk of suicide The Secretary concerned shall ensure that all health care providers under the jurisdiction of such Secretary receive empirically supported training on the recognition and assessment of individuals at risk for suicide and the management of such risk not less frequently than once every three years. (b) Evaluation of implementation of clinical practice guidelines and best practices by mental health care providers (1) In general Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than once each year thereafter, the Secretary concerned shall conduct an evaluation of the implementation by mental health care providers under the jurisdiction of such Secretary of the clinical practice guidelines recommended for such providers by such Secretary and other evidence-based treatments and approaches. (2) Inclusion of results in employee performance evaluations The Secretary concerned shall incorporate evaluations conducted under paragraph (1) into the employee evaluation process conducted by such Secretary with respect to mental health care providers to the greatest extent possible. (c) Assessment of mental health workforce (1) In general Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report assessing the mental health workforce of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs and the long-term mental health care needs of members of the Armed Forces and veterans for purposes of determining the long-term need of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs for mental health care providers. (2) Elements The report submitted under paragraph (1) shall include an assessment of the following: (A) The number of mental health care providers of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs as of the date of the submittal of the report, disaggregated by specialty, including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, mental health counselors, and marriage and family therapists. (B) The number of mental health care providers that are anticipated to be needed by the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs. (C) The types of mental health care providers that are anticipated to be needed by the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs. (D) Locations in which mental health care providers are anticipated to be needed by the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs. (d) Plan for development of procedures To measure mental health data Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a plan for the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to jointly develop procedures to compile and assess data relating to the following: (1) Outcomes for mental health care provided by the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs. (2) Variations in such outcomes among different medical facilities of the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs. (3) Barriers, if any, to the implementation by mental health care providers under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned of the clinical practice guidelines recommended for such providers by such Secretary and other evidence-based treatments and approaches. (e) Definitions In this section: (1) Appropriate committees of Congress The term appropriate committees of Congress (A) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate; and (B) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives. (2) Secretary concerned The term Secretary concerned (A) the Secretary of Defense with respect to matters concerning the Department of Defense; and (B) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with respect to matters concerning the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Summary: Military and Veterans Mental Health Provider Assessment Act of 2015 Directs the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that all health care providers under their respective jurisdictions receive, at least once every three years, empirically supported training on the recognition and assessment of individuals at risk for suicide and the management of such risk. Requires such Departments to: (1) conduct annual evaluations of the implementation by mental health care providers under their jurisdictions of Department-recommended clinical practice guidelines and other evidence-based treatments and approaches, and (2) incorporate such evaluations into the employee evaluation process of such providers. Directs such Departments to jointly submit: (1) a report assessing their mental health work forces and the long-term mental health care needs of members of the Armed Forces and veterans for purposes of determining long-term needs of such Departments for mental health care providers; and (2) a plan to jointly develop procedures to compile and assess data relating to outcomes for mental health care provided by the Departments, variations in such outcomes among different Department medical facilities, and barriers to the implementation by Department mental health care providers of recommended clinical practice guidelines and other evidence-based treatments and approaches.