I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6411 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in 
the mental health care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 18, 2022 
Mr. TAKANO (for himself and Mr. BOST) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain 
improvements in the mental health care provided by the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Support The Resiliency of Our Nation’s Great Veterans 
Act of 2022’’ or the ‘‘STRONG Veterans Act of 2022’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:35 Jan 20, 2022
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6211
E:\BILLS\H6411.IH
H6411
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
TITLE I—TRAINING TO SUPPORT VETERANS’ MENTAL HEALTH 
Sec. 101. Mental health and suicide prevention outreach to minority veterans 
and American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. 
Sec. 102. Expansion of Vet Center workforce. 
Sec. 103. Expansion of mental health training for Department of Veterans Af-
fairs. 
Sec. 104. Expansion of scholarships and loan repayment programs for mental 
health providers. 
TITLE II—VETERANS CRISIS LINE 
Sec. 201. Veterans Crisis Line. 
Subtitle A—Veterans Crisis Line Training and Quality Management 
Sec. 211. Staff training. 
Sec. 212. Quality review and management. 
Sec. 213. Guidance for high-risk callers. 
Sec. 214. Oversight of training of social service assistants and clarification of 
job responsibilities. 
Subtitle B—Pilot Programs and Research on Veterans Crisis Line 
Sec. 221. Pilot programs. 
Sec. 222. Authorization of appropriations for research on effectiveness and op-
portunities for improvement of Veterans Crisis Line. 
Subtitle C—Transition of Crisis Line Number 
Sec. 231. Feedback on transition of crisis line number. 
TITLE III—OUTREACH TO VETERANS 
Sec. 301. Solid Start program of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
Sec. 302. Designation of Buddy Check Week by Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 
Sec. 303. Improvements to Veterans Justice Outreach Program. 
Sec. 304. Department of Veterans Affairs Governors Challenge Program. 
TITLE IV—MENTAL HEALTH CARE DELIVERY 
Sec. 401. Expansion of peer specialist support program of Department of Vet-
erans Affairs. 
Sec. 402. Expansion of Vet Center services. 
Sec. 403. Eligibility for mental health services. 
Sec. 404. Mental health consultations. 
TITLE V—RESEARCH 
Sec. 501. Veterans integration to academic leadership program of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs. 
Sec. 502. Improvement of sleep disorder care furnished by Department of Vet-
erans Affairs. 
Sec. 503. Study on inpatient mental health and substance use care from De-
partment of Veterans Affairs. 
Sec. 504. Study on treatment from Department of Veterans Affairs for co-oc-
curring mental health and substance use disorders. 
Sec. 505. Study on workload of suicide prevention teams of Department of Vet-
erans Affairs. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:35 Jan 20, 2022
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6211
E:\BILLS\H6411.IH
H6411
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
Sec. 506. Expansion of suicide prevention and mental health research. 
Sec. 507. Study on mental health and suicide prevention support for military 
families. 
Sec. 508. Research on brain health. 
Sec. 509. Study on efficacy of clinical and at-home resources for post-traumatic 
stress disorder. 
TITLE I—TRAINING TO SUPPORT 
VETERANS’ MENTAL HEALTH 
SEC. 101. MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION 
OUTREACH TO MINORITY VETERANS AND 
AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE VET-
ERANS. 
(a) STAFFING REQUIREMENT.—Beginning not later 
than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that each 
medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs has 
no fewer than one full-time employee whose responsibility 
is serving as a minority veteran coordinator. 
(b) TRAINING.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in con-
sultation with the Indian Health Service and the Director 
of the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention of 
the Department of Veterans Affairs, shall ensure that all 
minority veteran coordinators receive training in delivery 
of culturally appropriate mental health and suicide preven-
tion services to American Indian and Alaska Native vet-
erans, especially with respect to the identified populations 
and tribes within the coordinators’ catchment areas. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:35 Jan 20, 2022
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6411.IH
H6411
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
(c) COORDINATION WITH SUICIDE PREVENTION CO-
ORDINATORS.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation 
with the Director of the Office of Mental Health and Sui-
cide Prevention, shall ensure that the suicide prevention 
coordinator and minority veteran coordinator of each med-
ical center of the Department have developed and dissemi-
nated to the director of the medical center a written plan 
for conducting mental health and suicide prevention out-
reach to all tribes and urban Indian health organizations 
within the catchment area of the medical center. Each 
such plan shall include for each tribe covered by the 
plan— 
(1) contact information for tribal leadership 
and the tribal health facility or Indian Health Serv-
ice facility serving that tribe; 
(2) a schedule for and list of outreach plans 
(including addressing any barriers to accessing De-
partment mental health care); 
(3) documentation of any conversation with 
tribal leaders that may guide culturally appropriate 
delivery of mental health care to American Indian or 
Alaska Native veterans; 
(4) documentation of any progress in incor-
porating traditional healing practices into mental 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:35 Jan 20, 2022
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6411.IH
H6411
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
health and suicide prevention protocols and options 
available for veterans who are members of such 
tribe; and 
(5) documentation of any coordination among 
the Department, the Indian Health Service, urban 
Indian health organizations, and the Substance 
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 
for the purpose of improving suicide prevention ef-
forts tailored to veterans who are members of such 
tribe and the provision of culturally competent men-
tal health care to such veterans. 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the en-
actment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives a report on outreach efforts to minority vet-
erans and American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. 
Such report shall include each of the following: 
(1) The number of minority veteran coordina-
tors within the Department. 
(2) The number and percentage of minority vet-
eran coordinators who are women. 
(3) The number and percentage of minority vet-
eran coordinators who are persons of color. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:35 Jan 20, 2022
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6411.IH
H6411
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
(4) The number and percentage of Department 
medical centers with minority veteran coordinators. 
(5) The number and percentage of Department 
mental health providers who are enrolled members of 
a federally recognized Indian tribe or self-identify as 
Native American. 
(6) The number and percentage of Department 
mental health providers who speak a second lan-
guage. 
(7) A review of the outreach plans developed 
and submitted to all Department medical centers for 
outreach to American Indian and Alaska Native vet-
erans. 
(8) A review of mental health care provided an-
nually by the Department to American Indian and 
Alaska Native veterans for the past three years, in-
cluding number of appointments, and an assessment 
of any barriers to providing this care. 
SEC. 102. EXPANSION OF VET CENTER WORKFORCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall hire an additional 100 full-time equiva-
lent employees for Vet Centers to bolster the workforce 
of Vet Centers and to provide expanded mental health care 
to veterans, members of the Armed Forces, and their fam-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:35 Jan 20, 2022
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6411.IH
H6411
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS