SEC. 5. PROGRAM ON USE OF WELLNESS PROGRAMS AS 
COMPLEMENTARY APPROACH TO MENTAL 
HEALTH CARE FOR VETERANS AND FAMILY 
MEMBERS OF VETERANS. 
(a) PROGRAM REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall carry out a program through the award 
of grants to public or private nonprofit entities to 
assess the feasibility and advisability of using 
wellness programs to complement the provision of 
mental health care to veterans and family members 
eligible for counseling under section 1712A(a)(1)(C) 
of title 38, United States Code. 
(2) MATTERS
TO
BE
ADDRESSED.—The pro-
gram shall be carried out so as to assess the fol-
lowing: 
(A) Means of improving coordination be-
tween Federal, State, local, and community pro-
viders of health care in the provision of mental 
health care to veterans and family members de-
scribed in paragraph (1). 
(B) Means of enhancing outreach, and co-
ordination of outreach, by and among providers 
of health care referred to in subparagraph (A) 
on the mental health care services available to 
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veterans and family members described in para-
graph (1). 
(C) Means of using wellness programs of 
providers of health care referred to in subpara-
graph (A) as complements to the provision by 
the Department of Veterans Affairs of mental 
health care to veterans and family members de-
scribed in paragraph (1). 
(D) Whether wellness programs described 
in subparagraph (C) are effective in enhancing 
the quality of life and well-being of veterans 
and family members described in paragraph 
(1). 
(E) Whether wellness programs described 
in subparagraph (C) are effective in increasing 
the adherence of veterans described in para-
graph (1) to the primary mental health services 
provided such veterans by the Department. 
(F) Whether wellness programs described 
in subparagraph (C) have an impact on the 
sense of well-being of veterans described in 
paragraph (1) who receive primary mental 
health services from the Department. 
(G) Whether wellness programs described 
in subparagraph (C) are effective in encour-
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aging veterans receiving health care from the 
Department to adopt a more healthy lifestyle. 
(b) DURATION.—The Secretary shall carry out the 
program for a period of three years beginning on the date 
that is one year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act. 
(c) LOCATIONS.—The Secretary shall carry out the 
program at facilities of the Department providing mental 
health care services to veterans and family members de-
scribed in subsection (a)(1). 
(d) GRANT PROPOSALS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A public or private nonprofit 
entity seeking the award of a grant under this sec-
tion shall submit an application therefor to the Sec-
retary in such form and in such manner as the Sec-
retary may require. 
(2) APPLICATION CONTENTS.—Each application 
submitted under paragraph (1) shall include the fol-
lowing: 
(A) A plan to coordinate activities under 
the program, to the extent possible, with the 
Federal, State, and local providers of services 
for veterans to enhance the following: 
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(i) Awareness by veterans of benefits 
and health care services provided by the 
Department. 
(ii) Outreach efforts to increase the 
use by veterans of services provided by the 
Department. 
(iii) Educational efforts to inform vet-
erans of the benefits of a healthy and ac-
tive lifestyle. 
(B) A statement of understanding from 
the entity submitting the application that, if se-
lected, such entity will be required to report to 
the Secretary periodically on standardized data 
and other performance data necessary to evalu-
ate individual outcomes and to facilitate evalua-
tions among entities participating in the pro-
gram. 
(C) Other requirements that the Secretary 
may prescribe. 
(e) GRANT USES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A public or private nonprofit 
entity awarded a grant under this section shall use 
the award for purposes prescribed by the Secretary. 
(2) ELIGIBLE VETERANS AND FAMILY.—In car-
rying out the purposes prescribed by the Secretary 
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in paragraph (1), a public or private nonprofit entity 
awarded a grant under this section shall use the 
award to furnish services only to individuals speci-
fied in section 1712A(a)(1)(C) of title 38, United 
States Code. 
(f) REPORTS.— 
(1) PERIODIC REPORTS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of the commencement of the 
program, and every 180 days thereafter, the 
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on 
the program. 
(B) REPORT ELEMENTS.—Each report re-
quired by subparagraph (A) shall include the 
following: 
(i) The findings and conclusions of 
the Secretary with respect to the program 
during the 180-day period preceding the 
report. 
(ii) An assessment of the benefits of 
the program to veterans and their family 
members during the 180-day period pre-
ceding the report. 
(2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 180 days 
after the end of the program, the Secretary shall 
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submit to Congress a report detailing the rec-
ommendations of the Secretary as to the advisability 
of continuing or expanding the program. 
(g) WELLNESS DEFINED.—In this section, the term 
‘‘wellness’’ has the meaning given that term in regulations 
prescribed by the Secretary. 
Æ 
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