To direct the Secretary of Defense to more effectively provide mental health resources for members of the Armed Forces at high risk of suicide, and for other purposes.

To direct the Secretary of Defense to more effectively provide mental health resources for members of the Armed Forces at high risk of suicide, and for other purposes. 1. Mental health resources for members of the Armed Forces at high risk of suicide (a) In general The Secretary of Defense shall develop a methodology that identifies which members and units of the Armed Forces are at high risk of suicide. (b) Mental health resources (1) High risk members of the Armed Forces The Secretary of Defense shall use the results under subsection (c) to— (A) identify which units have a disproportionately high rate of suicide and suicide attempts; and (B) provide additional preventative and treatment resources for mental health for members of the Armed Forces who were deployed with the units identified under subparagraph (A). (2) Preventative mental health care The Secretary of Defense shall use the results under subsection (c) to— (A) identify the circumstances of deployments associated with increased vulnerability to suicide, including the length of deployment, the region and area of deployment, and the nature and extent to which there was contact with enemy forces; and (B) provide additional preventative mental health care to units who currently are, or will be, deployed under circumstances similar to those of subparagraph (A). (c) Methodology Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall develop a methodology to assess the rate of suicide and suicide attempts of members of the Armed Forces of units that have been deployed in support of a contingency operation after September 11, 2001. (d) Outreach for high-Risk veterans The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall use the results under subsection (c) to provide outreach regarding the available preventative and treatment resources for mental health for veterans who— (1) were deployed with the units identified under this subsection; and (2) are enrolled in the health care system of the Department of Veterans Affairs. (e) Reports Not later than September 30, 2018, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate a report on the activities carried out under this section and the effectiveness of such activities. (f) Restriction on use of information Information disclosed or obtained pursuant to the provisions of this section may be used by officers, employees, and contractors of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs only for the purposes of, and to the extent necessary in, carrying out this section.

Summary: This bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to develop a methodology to: identify units of the Armed Forces that have a disproportionately high rate of suicide and suicide attempts; provide additional mental health resources for members of the Armed Forces deployed with such units; identify the circumstances of deployments associated with increased vulnerability to suicide, including the length and area of deployment and the nature and extent of contact with enemy forces; and provide additional preventative mental health care to units deployed under similar circumstances. DOD shall: (1) develop a methodology to assess the rate of suicide and suicide attempts of members of the Armed Forces of units that have been deployed in support of a contingency operation after September 11, 2001, and (2) provide outreach regarding the available mental health resources for veterans enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system who were deployed with such units. Information obtained pursuant to this bill may be used by DOD and VA officers, employees, and contractors only for the purposes of carrying it out.