PILOT PROJECTS ON EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS.

SEC. 741. PILOT PROJECTS ON EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS.(a) Pilot Projects Required.—The Secretary of Defense shall carry out not less than three pilot projects to evaluate the efficacy of various approaches to improving the capability of the military and civilian health care systems to provide early diagnosis and treatment of post traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions.120 STAT. 2305(b) Duration.—Any pilot project carried out under this section shall begin not later than October 1, 2007, and cease on September 30, 2008.(c) Pilot Project Requirements.—(1) Diagnostic and treatment approaches.—One of the pilot projects under this section shall be designed to evaluate effective diagnostic and treatment approaches for use by primary care providers in the military health care system in order to improve the capability of such providers to diagnose and treat post traumatic stress disorder.(2) National guard or reserve members.—(A) One of the pilot projects under this section shall be focused on members of the National Guard or Reserves who are located more than 40 miles from a military medical facility and who are served primarily by civilian community health resources.(B) The pilot project described in subparagraph (A) shall be designed to develop educational materials and other tools for use by members of the National Guard or Reserves who come into contact with other members of the National Guard or Reserves who may suffer from post traumatic stress disorder in order to encourage and facilitate early reporting and referral for treatment.(3) Outreach.—One of the pilot projects under this section shall be designed to provide outreach to the family members of the members of the Armed Forces on post traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions.(d) Evaluation of Pilot Projects.—The Secretary shall evaluate each pilot project carried out under this section in order to assess the effectiveness of the approaches taken under such pilot project—(1) to improve the capability of the military and civilian health care systems to provide early diagnosis and treatment of post traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions among members of the regular components of the Armed Forces, and among members of the National Guard and Reserves, who have returned from deployment; and(2) to provide outreach to the family members of the members of the Armed Forces described in paragraph (1) on post traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions among such members of the Armed Forces.(e) Report to Congress.—(1) Report required.—Not later than December 31, 2008, the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the pilot projects carried out under this section.(2) Elements.—The report required by paragraph (1) shall include the following:(A) A description of each pilot project carried out under this section.(B) An assessment of the effectiveness of the approaches taken under each pilot project to improve the capability of the military and civilian health care systems to provide early diagnosis and treatment of post traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions among members of the Armed Forces.120 STAT. 2306(C) Any recommendations for legislative or administrative action that the Secretary considers appropriate in light of the pilot projects, including recommendations on—(i) the training of health care providers in the military and civilian health care systems on early diagnosis and treatment of post traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions; and(ii) the provision of outreach on post traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions to members of the National Guard and Reserves who have returned from deployment.(D) A plan, in light of the pilot projects, for the improvement of the health care services provided to members of the Armed Forces in order to better assure the early diagnosis and treatment of post traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions among members of the Armed Forces, including a specific plan for outreach on post traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions to members of the National Guard and Reserves who have returned from deployment in order to facilitate and enhance the early diagnosis and treatment of post traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions among such members of the National Guard and Reserves.