Title: Veterans Posttraumatic Growth Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Veterans Posttraumatic Growth Act
This bill requires 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. Post-traumatic growth is the positive psychological change that can result from struggling with traumatic events.
The bill makes veterans who are not at immediate risk of attempting suicide and not participating in traditional mental health treatment eligible for such program.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1997 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1997

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 29, 2019

Mr. Ryan (for himself, Mr. Reschenthaler, Mr. Watkins, Mr. Suozzi, Mrs. 
 Radewagen, and Mr. Carson of Indiana) 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 ``Veterans 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) Review and Evaluation.--In developing the pilot program under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
            (1) review relevant literature to summarize the existing 
        knowledge regarding posttraumatic growth programs; and
            (2) evaluate such programs.
    (c) Duration.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program 
under subsection (a) for a two-year period beginning on the date that 
is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (d) 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.
    (e) Participants.--
            (1) Eligibility.--A veteran is eligible to participate in 
        the pilot program under subsection (a) if the Secretary 
        determines that the veteran is--
                    (A) not at known immediate risk of attempting 
                suicide; and
                    (B) not participating in traditional mental health 
                treatment.
            (2) Female veterans.--Not fewer than four groups of 
        veterans participating in the pilot program under subsection 
        (a) shall consist only of female veterans.
    (f) 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.
    (g) 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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