Title: American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans Mental Health Act
Policy area: Native Americans

Summary:
American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans Mental Health Act
This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide mental health and suicide prevention outreach to American Indian and Alaska Native veterans.
Specifically, the bill requires that each VA medical center have a full-time minority veteran coordinator. The coordinator must receive training in the delivery of culturally appropriate mental health and suicide prevention services to American Indian and Alaska Native veterans.
Further, the suicide prevention coordinator and minority veteran coordinator of each VA medical center must develop and disseminate a written plan for conducting mental health and suicide prevention outreach to all tribes and urban Indian health organizations within the area of the medical center.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8068 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8068

      To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make certain 
improvements relating to mental health and suicide prevention outreach 
 to minority veterans and American Indian and Alaska Native veterans, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 18, 2020

Ms. Brownley of California (for herself, Mr. Cole, and Ms. Torres Small 
of New Mexico) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make certain 
improvements relating to mental health and suicide prevention outreach 
 to minority veterans and American Indian and Alaska Native veterans, 
                        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 ``American Indian and Alaska Native 
Veterans Mental Health Act''.

SEC. 2. MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION OUTREACH TO MINORITY 
              VETERANS AND AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE VETERANS.

    (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 consultation with 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 prevention services to American Indian and 
Alaska Native veterans, especially with respect to the identified 
populations and tribes within the coordinators' catchment areas.
    (c) Coordination With Suicide Prevention Coordinators.--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 Suicide Prevention, shall ensure that the suicide prevention 
coordinator and minority veteran coordinator of each medical center of 
the Department have developed and disseminated to the director of the 
medical center a written plan for conducting mental health and suicide 
prevention outreach 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 Service facility 
        serving that tribe;
            (2) a schedule for and list of outreach plans (including 
        addressing any barriers to accessing Department mental health 
        care); and
            (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.
    (d) Report.--Not later than one year after the enactment 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 
Representatives a report on outreach efforts to minority veterans and 
American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. Such report shall include 
each of the following:
            (1) The number of minority veteran coordinators within the 
        Department.
            (2) The number and percentage of minority veteran 
        coordinators who are women.
            (3) The number and percentage of minority veteran 
        coordinators who are persons of color.
            (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 language.
            (7) A review of the outreach plans developed and submitted 
        to all Department medical centers for outreach to American 
        Indian and Alaska Native veterans.
            (8) A review of mental health care provided annually by the 
        Department to American Indian and Alaska Native veterans for 
        the past three years, including number of appointments, and an 
        assessment of any barriers to providing this care.
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