PROGRAM ON READJUSTMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES FOR VETERANS WHO SERVED IN OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM AND OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM.

SEC. 304. PROGRAM ON READJUSTMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES FOR VETERANS WHO SERVED IN OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM AND OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM.(a) Program Required.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish a program to provide—(1) to veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, particularly veterans who served in such operations while in the National Guard and the Reserves—(A) peer outreach services;(B) peer support services;(C) readjustment counseling and services described in section 1712A of title 38, United States Code; and(D) mental health services; and(2) to members of the immediate family of veterans described in paragraph (1), during the 3-year period beginning on the date of the return of such veterans from deployment in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom, education, support, counseling, and mental health services to assist in—(A) the readjustment of such veterans to civilian life;(B) in the case such veterans have an injury or illness incurred during such deployment, the recovery of such veterans from such injury or illness; and(C) the readjustment of the family following the return of such veterans.(b) Contracts With Community Mental Health Centers and Other Qualified Entities.—In carrying out the program required by subsection (a), the Secretary may contract with community mental health centers and other qualified entities to provide the services required by such subsection only in areas the Secretary determines are not adequately served by other health care facilities or vet centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Such contracts shall require each contracting community health center or entity—(1) to the extent practicable, to use telehealth services for the delivery of services required by subsection (a);(2) to the extent practicable, to employ veterans trained under subsection (c) in the provision of services covered by that subsection;(3) to participate in the training program conducted in accordance with subsection (d);(4) to comply with applicable protocols of the Department before incurring any liability on behalf of the Department for the provision of services required by subsection (a);(5) for each veteran for whom a community mental health center or other qualified entity provides mental health services under such contract, to provide the Department with such clinical summary information as the Secretary shall require;(6) to submit annual reports to the Secretary containing, with respect to the program required by subsection (a) and for the last full calendar year ending before the submittal of such report—(A) the number of the veterans served, veterans diagnosed, and courses of treatment provided to veterans as part of the program required by subsection (a); and(B) demographic information for such services, diagnoses, and courses of treatment; and124 STAT. 1151(7) to meet such other requirements as the Secretary shall require.(c) Training of Veterans for Provision of Peer-outreach and Peer-support Services.—In carrying out the program required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall contract with a national not-for-profit mental health organization to carry out a national program of training for veterans described in subsection (a) to provide the services described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1) of such subsection.(d) Training of Clinicians for Provision of Services.—The Secretary shall conduct a training program for clinicians of community mental health centers or entities that have contracts with the Secretary under subsection (b) to ensure that such clinicians can provide the services required by subsection (a) in a manner that—(1) recognizes factors that are unique to the experience of veterans who served on active duty in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom (including their combat and military training experiences); and(2) uses best practices and technologies.(e) Vet Center Defined.—In this section, the term “vet center” means a center for readjustment counseling and related mental health services for veterans under section 1712A of title 38, United States Code.