Veterans Posttraumatic Growth Act

II Calendar No. 543 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 3235 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a pilot program on posttraumatic growth, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JANUARY 28, 2020 Ms. MCSALLY (for herself, Mr. KAINE, and Mrs. LOEFFLER) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 Reported by Mr. MORAN, with an amendment [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 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 Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Posttrau- 4 matic Growth Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:34 Sep 16, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\BILLS\S3235.RS S3235 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •S 3235 RS SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 1 Congress finds the following: 2 (1) There is a shortage of adequate, timely, and 3 effective mental health care available to veterans 4 across the United States. 5 (2) The Department of Veterans Affairs con- 6 tinues to highlight veterans mental health care and 7 suicide prevention as a key priority. 8 (3) There is an opportunity to explore effective 9 alternative treatments focused on the area of post- 10 traumatic growth. 11 SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM ON POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH. 12 (a) PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 13 shall conduct a pilot program to study the effectiveness 14 and benefits of nonprofit posttraumatic growth programs 15 to determine— 16 (1) the outcomes of such programs in contrast 17 to traditional models of mental health care; 18 (2) the possible integration of such nonprofit 19 programs into the mental health care programs pro- 20 vided by the Secretary; and 21 (3) the budgetary impacts of such integration. 22 (b) REVIEW AND EVALUATION.—In developing the 23 pilot program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:34 Sep 16, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\BILLS\S3235.RS S3235 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •S 3235 RS (1) review relevant literature to summarize the 1 existing knowledge regarding posttraumatic growth 2 programs; and 3 (2) evaluate such programs. 4 (c) DURATION.—The Secretary shall carry out the 5 pilot program under subsection (a) for a two-year period 6 beginning on the date that is 180 days after the date of 7 the enactment of this Act. 8 (d) LOCATIONS.—The Secretary shall select more 9 than one location at which to carry out the pilot program 10 under subsection (a), of which at least one location shall 11 include a rural area. 12 (e) PARTICIPANTS.— 13 (1) ELIGIBILITY.—A veteran is eligible to par- 14 ticipate in the pilot program under subsection (a) if 15 the Secretary determines that the veteran is— 16 (A) not at known immediate risk of at- 17 tempting suicide; and 18 (B) not participating in traditional mental 19 health treatment. 20 (2) FEMALE VETERANS.—Not fewer than four 21 groups of veterans participating in the pilot program 22 under subsection (a) shall consist only of female vet- 23 erans. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:34 Sep 16, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\BILLS\S3235.RS S3235 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •S 3235 RS (f) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.—The Secretary 1 shall carry out the pilot program under subsection (a) by 2 entering into an agreement with one or more nonprofit 3 organizations that— 4 (1) have staff with expertise in evidence-based 5 care and experience working with veterans; 6 (2) have experience in the science of posttrau- 7 matic growth; and 8 (3) use a standardized, evaluated, and compre- 9 hensive curriculum. 10 (g) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 11 on which the pilot program under subsection (a) is com- 12 pleted, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 13 on the pilot program, including a comparison of the care 14 provided under the pilot program and the clinical care 15 model of the Department. 16 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 17 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Posttraumatic 18 Growth Act’’. 19 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 20 Congress finds the following: 21 (1) There is a shortage of adequate, timely, and 22 effective mental health care available to veterans 23 across the United States. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:34 Sep 16, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S3235.RS S3235 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •S 3235 RS (2) The Department of Veterans Affairs con- 1 tinues to highlight veterans mental health care and 2 suicide prevention as a key priority. 3 (3) There is an opportunity to explore effective 4 alternative treatments focused on the area of 5 posttraumatic growth. 6 SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM ON POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH. 7 (a) PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 8 shall conduct a pilot program, through the Office of Whole 9 Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to study the 10 effectiveness and benefits of nonprofit posttraumatic growth 11 programs to determine— 12 (1) the outcomes of such programs in contrast to 13 traditional models of mental health care; 14 (2) the possible integration of such nonprofit 15 programs into the mental health care programs pro- 16 vided by the Secretary; and 17 (3) the budgetary impacts of such integration. 18 (b) REVIEW AND EVALUATION.—In developing the 19 pilot program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— 20 (1) review relevant literature to summarize the 21 existing knowledge regarding posttraumatic growth 22 programs; and 23 (2) evaluate such programs. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:34 Sep 16, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S3235.RS S3235 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •S 3235 RS (c) DURATION.—The Secretary shall carry out the 1 pilot program under subsection (a) for a two-year period 2 beginning on the date that is 180 days after the date of 3 the enactment of this Act. 4 (d) LOCATIONS.—The Secretary shall select more than 5 one location at which to carry out the pilot program under 6 subsection (a), of which at least one location shall include 7 a rural area. 8 (e) PARTICIPANTS.— 9 (1) ELIGIBILITY.—A veteran is eligible to par- 10 ticipate in the pilot program under subsection (a) if 11 the Secretary determines that the veteran is— 12 (A) not at known immediate risk of at- 13 tempting suicide; and 14 (B) not participating in traditional mental 15 health treatment. 16 (2) FEMALE VETERANS.—Not fewer than four 17 groups of veterans participating in the pilot program 18 under subsection (a) shall consist only of female vet- 19 erans. 20 (f) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.—The Secretary shall 21 carry out the pilot program under subsection (a) by enter- 22 ing into an agreement with one or more nonprofit organiza- 23 tions that— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:34 Sep 16, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S3235.RS S3235 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 7 •S 3235 RS (1) have staff with expertise in evidence-based 1 care and experience working with veterans; 2 (2) have experience in the science of 3 posttraumatic growth; and 4 (3) use a standardized, evaluated, and com- 5 prehensive curriculum. 6 (g) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 7 on which the pilot program under subsection (a) is com- 8 pleted, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on 9 the pilot program, including a comparison of the care pro- 10 vided under the pilot program and the clinical care model 11 of the Department. 12 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:34 Sep 16, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S3235.RS S3235 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS Calendar No. 543 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 3235 A BILL To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to con- duct a pilot program on posttraumatic growth, and for other purposes. SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 Reported with an amendment VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:34 Sep 16, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6651 Sfmt 6651 E:\BILLS\S3235.RS S3235 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS