Title: Bill Mulder and Ryan Larkin Posttraumatic Growth Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Bill Mulder and Ryan Larkin Posttraumatic Growth Act
This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct a two-year pilot program to study the effectiveness of nonprofit post-traumatic growth programs to determine: (1) the outcomes of such programs in contrast to traditional models of mental health care, (2) the possible integration of such nonprofit programs into VA mental health care programs, and (3) the budgetary impact of such integration.
Veterans who are at risk of suicide and not participating in traditional mental health treatment are eligible for such program.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5986 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5986

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a pilot program 
            on posttraumatic growth, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 29, 2018

 Mr. Taylor (for himself, Mr. Ryan of Ohio, Mrs. Comstock, Ms. Sinema, 
 Mr. Gallego, Mr. Banks of Indiana, and Mr. Bilirakis) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a pilot program 
            on posttraumatic growth, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Bill Mulder and Ryan Larkin 
Posttraumatic Growth Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) There is a shortage of adequate, timely, and effective 
        mental health care available to veterans across the United 
        States.
            (2) The Department of Veterans Affairs continues to 
        highlight veterans mental health care and suicide prevention as 
        a key priority.
            (3) There is an opportunity to explore effective 
        alternative treatments focused on the area of posttraumatic 
        growth.

SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM ON POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH.

    (a) Program.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a 
pilot program to study the effectiveness and benefits of nonprofit 
posttraumatic growth programs to determine--
            (1) the outcomes of such programs in contrast to 
        traditional models of mental health care;
            (2) the possible integration of such nonprofit programs 
        into the mental health care programs provided by the Secretary; 
        and
            (3) the budgetary impacts of such integration.
    (b) Duration.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program 
under subsection (a) for a two-year period.
    (c) Locations.--The Secretary shall select more than one location 
at which to carry out the pilot program under subsection (a), of which 
at least one location shall include a rural area.
    (d) Participants.--
            (1) Groups.--For each location selected under subsection 
        (c), the Secretary shall establish one or more groups 
        consisting of not more than six veterans to participate in the 
        pilot program under subsection (a). The Secretary shall 
        establish a total of 24 groups.
            (2) Eligibility.--A veteran is eligible to participate in a 
        group under paragraph (1) if the Secretary determines that the 
        veteran is--
                    (A) at risk of committing suicide; and
                    (B) not participating in traditional mental health 
                treatment.
            (3) Female veterans.--Not fewer than four groups of 
        veterans under paragraph (1) shall consist only of female 
        veterans.
    (e) Nonprofit Organizations.--The Secretary shall carry out the 
pilot program under subsection (a) by entering into an agreement with 
one or more nonprofit organizations that--
            (1) have staff with expertise in evidence-based care and 
        experience working with veterans;
            (2) have experience in the science of posttraumatic growth; 
        and
            (3) uses a standardized, evaluated, and comprehensive 
        curriculum.
    (f) Report.--Not later than one year after the date on which the 
pilot program under subsection (a) is completed, the Secretary shall 
submit to Congress a report on the pilot program, including a 
comparison of the care provided under the pilot program and the 
clinical care model of the Department.
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