Title: VA Suicide Prevention Services Accountability Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
VA Suicide Prevention Services Accountability Act
This bill requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a management review and submit reports on mental health and suicide prevention efforts carried out by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Specifically, the bill requires the GAO to conduct a management review of the mental health and suicide prevention services provided by the VA.
The bill also requires the GAO to report on the VA's efforts to (1) manage veterans at high risk for suicide, (2) integrate mental health care into VA primary care clinics, and (3) integrate community-based mental health care (care provided by a non-VA provider but paid for by the VA) into the Veterans Health Administration.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5030 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5030

To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to take certain 
actions regarding suicides by veterans and mental health care furnished 
                 by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 8, 2019

 Mr. Watkins introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to take certain 
actions regarding suicides by veterans and mental health care furnished 
                 by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

    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 ``VA Suicide Prevention Services 
Accountability Act''.

SEC. 2. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT ON MANAGEMENT BY DEPARTMENT OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS OF VETERANS AT HIGH RISK FOR SUICIDE.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and 
House of Representatives a report on the efforts of the Secretary to 
manage veterans at high risk for suicide.
    (b) Elements.--The report under subsection (a) shall include the 
following:
            (1) An assessment of suicide prevention practices and 
        initiatives available from the Department and through community 
        partnerships.
            (2) A description of how the Department identifies veterans 
        as high risk for suicide, with particular consideration to the 
        efficacy of inputs into the Recovery Engagement and 
        Coordination for Health--Veterans Enhanced Treatment (commonly 
        referred to as ``REACH VET'') program of the Department, 
        including an assessment of the efficacy of such identifications 
        disaggregated by age, gender, and, to the extent practicable, 
        Veterans Integrated Service Network, and medical center of the 
        Department.
            (3) A description of how the Department intervenes when a 
        veteran is identified as high risk, including an assessment of 
        the efficacy of such interventions disaggregated by age, 
        gender, and, to the extent practicable, Veterans Integrated 
        Service Network, and medical center of the Department.
            (4) A description of how the Department monitors veterans 
        who have been identified as high risk, including an assessment 
        of the efficacy of such monitoring and any follow-ups 
        disaggregated by age, gender, and, to the extent practicable, 
        Veterans Integrated Service Network, and medical center of the 
        Department.
            (5) A review of staffing levels of suicide prevention 
        coordinators across the Veterans Health Administration.
            (6) A review of the resources and programming offered to 
        family members and friends of veterans who have a mental health 
        condition in order to assist that veteran in treatment and 
        recovery.
            (7) An assessment of such other areas the Comptroller 
        General determines appropriate.

SEC. 3. COMPTROLLER GENERAL MANAGEMENT REVIEW OF MENTAL HEALTH AND 
              SUICIDE PREVENTION SERVICES OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than three years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and 
House of Representatives a management review of the mental health and 
suicide prevention services provided by the Secretary.
    (b) Elements.--The management review under subsection (a) shall 
include the following:
            (1) An assessment of the infrastructure under the control 
        of or available to the Office of Mental Health and Suicide 
        Prevention of the Department.
            (2) A description of the management and organizational 
        structure of the Office of Mental Health and Suicide 
        Prevention, including roles and responsibilities for each 
        position.
            (3) A review of the operational policies and processes of 
        the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, including 
        an assessment of how effectively these policies and processes 
        are implemented.
            (4) An assessment of the staffing levels at the Office of 
        Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, disaggregated by type of 
        position, and including the location of any staffing 
        deficiencies.
            (5) An assessment of the Nurse Advice Line pilot program 
        conducted by the Department.
            (6) An assessment of recruitment initiatives for mental 
        health professionals of the Department, including any special 
        emphasis on rural areas.
            (7) An assessment of strategic planning conducted by the 
        Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.
            (8) An assessment of the communication, and the 
        effectiveness of such communication--
                    (A) within the central office of the Office of 
                Mental Health and Suicide Prevention;
                    (B) between that central office and the Central 
                Office of the Department;
                    (C) between that central office and local 
                facilities and offices, including networks and medical 
                centers; and
                    (D) between that central office and community 
                partners of the Department, including first responders, 
                community support groups, and health care industry 
                partners.
            (9) An assessment of how effectively the Secretary and the 
        Secretary of Defense coordinate mental health and suicide 
        prevention efforts.
            (10) An assessment of such other areas the Comptroller 
        General determines appropriate.

SEC. 4. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT ON EFFORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS TO INTEGRATE MENTAL HEALTH CARE INTO PRIMARY CARE 
              CLINICS.

    (a) Initial Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than two years after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
        United States shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' 
        Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on 
        the efforts of the Secretary to integrate mental health care 
        into primary care clinics of the Department.
            (2) Elements.--The report under this subsection shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) An assessment of the efforts of the Secretary 
                to integrate mental health care into primary care 
                clinics of the Department.
                    (B) An assessment of the effectiveness of such 
                efforts.
                    (C) A description of how care is coordinated by the 
                Department between specialty mental health care and 
                primary care, including a description of the following:
                            (i) How documents and patient information 
                        are transferred and the effectiveness of those 
                        transfers.
                            (ii) How care is coordinated when veterans 
                        must travel to different facilities of the 
                        Department.
                            (iii) How a veteran is reintegrated into 
                        primary care after receiving in-patient mental 
                        health care.
                    (D) An assessment of how the integration of mental 
                health care into primary care clinics is implemented at 
                different facilities of the Department.
                    (E) An assessment of such other areas the 
                Comptroller General determines appropriate.
    (b) Community Care Integration Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than two years after the date on 
        which the Comptroller General submits the report under 
        subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall submit to the 
        Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of 
        Representatives a report on the efforts of the Secretary to 
        integrate community-based mental health care into the Veterans 
        Health Administration.
            (2) Elements.--The report under this subsection shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) An assessment of the efforts of the Secretary 
                to integrate community-based mental health care into 
                the Veterans Health Administration.
                    (B) An assessment of the effectiveness of such 
                efforts.
                    (C) A description of how care is coordinated 
                between providers of community-based mental health care 
                and the Veterans Health Administration, including a 
                description of how documents and patient information 
                are transferred and the effectiveness of those 
                transfers between--
                            (i) the Veterans Health Administration and 
                        providers of community-based mental health 
                        care; and
                            (ii) providers of community-based mental 
                        health care and the Veterans Health 
                        Administration.
                    (D) An assessment of the extent to which the 
                coordination of community-based mental health care 
                varies by facilities of the Department.
                    (E) An assessment of the extent to which military 
                cultural competency of community-based mental health 
                care providers are considered in providing mental 
                health care to veterans.
                    (F) An assessment of such other areas as the 
                Comptroller General considers appropriate to study.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) The term ``community-based mental health care'' means 
        mental health care paid for by the Secretary but provided by a 
        non-Department health care provider at a non-Department 
        facility, including care furnished under section 1703 of title 
        38, United States Code.
            (2) The term ``Department'' means the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs.
            (3) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Veterans 
        Affairs.
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