(1) Over the past 20 years, advances in sci-
entific research have changed the way of thinking
about children’s mental health and proven that the
same mental disorders that afflict adults can also
occur in children and adolescents.
(2) In January 2001, the Report of the Sur-
geon General’s Conference on Children’s Mental
Health noted that 74 percent of individuals age 21
with mental disorders had prior problems, indicating
that children’s mental disorders often persist into
adulthood.
(3) Scientific research has demonstrated that
early identification and treatment of mental dis-
orders in youth greatly improves a child or adoles-
cent’s prognosis throughout his or her lifetime.
(4) In January 2001, the Surgeon General
noted that, while 1 in 10 children and adolescents in
the United States suffers from mental illness severe
enough to cause some level of impairment, only 1 in
5 of such children and adolescents receives needed
mental health treatment.
(5) In September 2002, the National Council
on Disability noted that between 60 and 70 percent
of youth in the juvenile justice system have an emo-
tional disturbance and almost 50 percent have co-oc-
curring disabilities.
(6) The World Health Organization has re-
ported that youth neuropsychiatric disorders will rise
by over 50 percent by 2020, making such disorders
1 of the top 5 causes of disability, morbidity, and
mortality among children and adolescents.
(7) Psychological autopsy studies have found
that 90 percent of youths who end their own lives
have depression or another diagnosable mental or
substance abuse disorder at the time of their deaths,
verifying a link between mental illness and suicide.
(8) In 1999, the Surgeon General recognized
that mental illness and substance abuse disorders
are, in fact, the greatest risk factors for suicidal be-
havior, and that properly identifying and treating
mental illness and substance abuse disorders are an
important part of suicide prevention activities.
(9) The National Council on Disability has also
stated that ‘‘the failure to identify and treat mental
disabilities between children and youth has serious
consequences, including school failure, involvement
with the justice system and other tragic outcomes,’’
including ‘‘the growing problem of teen suicides and/
or suicide attempts’’.
(10) The Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention reported that in 2000 suicide was the 3rd
leading cause of death among youth 15 to 24 years
of age.
(11) The Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration reported that in 1999 al-
most 3,000,000 youth were at risk for suicide, but
only 36 percent received mental health treatment.
(12) According to the Youth Risk Behavior
Surveillance System of the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention, among high school students
surveyed in 2001, 19 percent had seriously consid-
ered attempting suicide, almost 15 percent had
made a specific plan to attempt suicide, almost 9
percent had attempted suicide, and almost 3 percent
had made an attempt at suicide that required med-
ical attention.
(13) The Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention reported that each year in the United States,
almost as many adolescents and young adults com-
mit suicide as die from all natural causes combined,
including leukemia, birth defects, pneumonia, influ-
enza, and AIDS.
(14) In January 2001, the Surgeon General
issued a goal to ‘‘improve the assessment of and rec-
ognition of mental health needs in children’’ in part
by encouraging ‘‘early identification of mental health
needs in existing preschool, child care, education,
health, welfare, juvenile justice, and substance abuse
treatment systems’’.
(15) Toward that end, the efforts, initiatives,
and activities of the Federal Government should be
used to support evidence-based preventive-screening
methods to detect mental illness and suicidal ten-
dencies in school-age youth.
SEC. 3. MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING DEMONSTRATION
PROJECT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and
Human Services, the Secretary of Education, and the At-
torney General, acting jointly and in consultation with the
Directors (as that term is defined in subsection (j)), shall
make a grant to 1 demonstration facility in each of the
10 demonstration areas (designated under subsection (b))
to implement evidence-based preventive-screening methods
to detect mental illness and suicidal tendencies in school-
age youth.
(b) DESIGNATION OF DEMONSTRATION AREAS.—
(1) DESIGNATION.—Not later than 6 months
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secre-
taries, in consultation with the Directors, shall des-
ignate 10 demonstration areas for purposes of mak-
ing grants under this section.
(2) INCLUSION OF CERTAIN AREAS.—The Sec-
retaries shall include in the demonstration areas des-
ignated under paragraph (1) at least 1 of each of
the following:
(A) An urban area that is eligible for des-
ignation under section 332 of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254e) as a health pro-
fessional shortage area.
(B) An area that has a shortage of mental
health professionals.
(C) An area in a county that is not in-
cluded in any standard metropolitan statistical
area.
(D) An area in a county that is included
in a standard metropolitan statistical area.
(E) An area that is located in an Indian
reservation.
(c) PERIOD OF GRANTS.—Each grant made under
subsection (a) shall be for a period of 3 years.
(d) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—To seek a grant under this
section, a demonstration facility shall submit an ap-
plication at such time and in such manner as the
Secretaries reasonably require.
(2) CONTENTS.—An application submitted by a
demonstration facility for a grant under subsection
(a) shall—
(A) demonstrate that the facility has
formed a multidisciplinary project implementa-
tion committee;
(B) specify an evidence-based preventive-
screening method to be implemented with the
grant;
(C) demonstrate that the facility has the
means to obtain the necessary resources and
tools, other than personnel, to implement the
specified 
evidence-based 
preventive-screening
method;
(D) demonstrate that the facility has exist-
ing staff, will hire new staff, or will partner
with staff from a local, licensed mental health
or medical organization to conduct the specified
evidence-based screening method, and that such
staff will include at least 1 licensed mental
health professional with a minimum of a mas-
ter’s degree in a mental health discipline;
(E) identify the location (which need not
be at the facility) where the specified evidence-
based preventive-screening method will be im-
plemented;
(F) demonstrate that the facility has ob-
tained full approval to screen at such location;
(G) identify the sample of school-age youth
to be screened with the specified evidence-based
preventive-screening method;
(H) identify a method for obtaining writ-
ten consent from the parent or legal guardian
of any minor taking part in the specified evi-
dence-based preventive-screening method;
(I) identify, for the purpose of determining
the ability of the facility to case manage treat-
ment for participating youth, the capacity of li-
censed individuals or entities offering mental
health care (including any such mental health
professionals, hospitals, residential treatment
centers, and outpatient clinics) to accept refer-
ral of individuals for further mental health eval-
uation and treatment—
(i) within 10 miles of the location
identified under subparagraph (E); and
(ii) within 40 miles of such location;
and
(J) contain such other information as the
Secretaries reasonably require.
(e) INFORMATION COLLECTION.—The Secretaries
may not make a grant to an applicant under subsection
(a) for a demonstration project unless the applicant agrees
to collect the following:
(1) Information on the demographics of youth
participating in the project, including—
(A) the number of youth solicited to par-
ticipate in the project, including the number of
such youth disaggregated by age, gender, and
ethnicity; and
(B) the number of youth actually partici-
pating in the project, including the number of
such youth disaggregated by age, gender, and
ethnicity.
(2) Information on the outcomes of evidence-
based preventive-screening methods, including—
(A) the number of screening refusals, due
to lack of consent by a parent or legal guardian
or refusal of the youth;
(B) the number of youth with positive out-
comes for all mental illnesses, including such
number disaggregated by disorder;
(C) the number of youth with positive out-
comes for suicidal ideation; and
(D) the number of youth with positive out-
comes for suicide attempts.
(3) Information on referrals based on outcomes,
including—
(A) the number of youth referred for clin-
ical interviews to determine need for further
evaluation or treatment;
(B) the number of youth referred for fur-
ther evaluation or treatment, including such
number disaggregated by type and location of
treatment;
(C) the number of youth and their parents
or legal guardians who accept referrals for fur-
ther evaluation or treatment; and
(D) the number of youth and their parents
or legal guardians who refuse referrals for fur-
ther evaluation or treatment.
(4) Information on treatment based on refer-
rals, including—
(A) the number of referred youth who ac-
cepted a referral but did not show up for the
first evaluation or treatment appointment;
(B) the number of referred youth who at-
tended 1 appointment;
(C) the number of referred youth who at-
tended 2 to 5 appointments;
(D) the number of referred youth who at-
tended 6 to 10 appointments; and
(E) the number of referred youth who at-
tended more than 10 appointments.
(5) To the extent practicable, information on
suicide attempts, suicide rates, and access to evi-
dence-based mental health screening and suicide pre-
vention programs among school-age youth for the 3
years preceding the commencement of the project.
(6) Such additional information as the Secre-
taries reasonably require.
(f) INFORMATION REPORTING.—The Secretaries may
not make a grant to an applicant under subsection (a)
for a demonstration project unless the applicant agrees to
report information collected under subsection (e) to the
Secretaries as follows: