Fighting for the Best Health Care for our Troops
Introduced December 2, 2010
Our service members and their families sacrifice everything for our security, and they deserve the best care we can provide for them. With post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) affecting so many of our returning service members, it is especially important that we address these hidden wounds of war. That is why I recently introduced two amendments to the Fiscal Year 2011 National Defense Authorization Act to improve the quality and accessibility of behavioral health care available to these heroes. One amendment would extend suicide-prevention services to active-duty troops and veterans in Colorado and across the country. The second would expand a behavioral health pilot program, which has been successful at Fort Carson, making it available to at least three other Army installations. When it comes to behavioral health care, the military has made significant progress. But the fact remains that too many of our troops return from service suffering from PTSD or TBI and struggle to get access to the care they need. I will always fight to ensure service members and veterans get the care they were promised and that they have earned.
Detailed Amendment Information Below:
Mobile Behavioral Health Teams - My amendment would expand, to no fewer than four Army installations, a pilot program that embeds behavioral health providers in operational units of the Army through what are known as Mobile Behavioral Health Teams. These teams of behavioral health providers are available to soldiers before, during and after their deployment. The pilot program is currently in place at Fort Carson and has received positive reviews from soldiers and independent evaluators. Additionally, the final report of the Department of Defense Task Force on the Prevention of Suicide by Members of the Armed Forces recommends expanding such a program. The Department of Defense Task Force on the Prevention of Suicide by Members of the Armed Forces issued a final report recommending the expansion of such a program.
DoD-to-VA Suicide Prevention Pipeline Program -This amendment would create a program to help ensure that service members who are administratively separated from the military for high-risk behavior don't fall through the cracks. According to the 2010 Army Health Promotion Risk Reduction Suicide Prevention Report, service members who exhibit high-risk behaviors - including drug and alcohol abuse - are at higher risk of both being administratively separated and committing suicide. My amendment would require the Defense Department and the VA to jointly assign a caseworker to those separated individuals to offer support and encourage them to take advantage of VA benefits and care. The caseworker would continue until the individual signs up with the VA, or both agencies jointly determine that contact is no longer necessary.
If you have further questions about this or any other issue, please contact me with your concerns.
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