,i #aaeth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #cdij ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #bg1 #bjag,mr4 ,langevin 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,danny ,k4 ,davis of ,illinois1 ,ms4 ,bass1 ,mrs4 ,lawrence1 and ,mr4 ,marino7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,public ,health ,service ,act to authorize grants to eligible entities to develop and implement statewide or tribal post-adoption and post-legal guardianship mental health service programs for all children who are adopted or placed in legal guardianship1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,supporting ,adopted ,children and ,families ,act of #bjag4 #b4 ,federal grant program for post-adoption and post-legal guardianship mental health services ,subpart #c of part ,b of title ,v of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bij;bb-#c et seq47 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #ebj,n4 ,post-adoption and post-legal guardianship mental health services 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary1 acting through the ,assistant ,secretary1 shall award grants or cooperative agreements to eligible entities to-- 7#a7 develop and implement statewide or tribal post-adoption and post-legal guardianship mental health service programs for all children who are adopted or placed in legal guardianship2 7#b7 support public organization and private nonprofit organizations actively involved in statewide or tribal post-adoption and post-legal guardianship mental health service programs2 7#c7 collect and analyze data on ,state-sponsored statewide or tribal post-adoption and post-legal guardianship mental health service programs that can be used to monitor the effectiveness of such services and for research1 technical assistance1 and policy development2 7#d7 develop and provide educational and training opportunities concerning the mental health needs of children who are adopted or placed in legal guardianship1 and their families1 for use by teachers1 social workers1 and other community mental health service providers2 7#e7 develop and provide materials for potential adoptive parents and legal guardians1 both for children who already reside in the ,united ,states at the time of the adoption or placement in legal guardianship and for those who at such time reside in other countries1 describing the possible need for post-adoption and post-legal guardianship mental health services and available resources2 7#f7 develop and provide respite care services for adoptive and legal guardian families2 and 7#g7 support research on1 and development of1 best practices for post-adoption and post-legal guardianship mental health services4 7b7 ,eligible entity 7#a7 ,definition ,in this section1 the term eligible entity means-- 7,a7 a ,state2 7,b7 a public organization or private nonprofit organization designated by a ,state to develop or direct the ,state-sponsored statewide post-adoption and post-legal guardianship mental health service program under a grant under this section2 and 7,c7 a ,federally recognized ,indian tribe or tribal organization 7as defined in the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #dej et seq477 or an urban ,indian organization 7as defined in the ,indian ,health ,care ,improvement ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #afja et seq477 that is actively involved in the development and continuation of a post-adoption and post-legal guardianship mental health service program4 7#b7 ,limitation ,in carrying out this section1 the ,secretary shall ensure that each ,state is awarded only #a grant or cooperative agreement under this section4 ,for purposes of the preceding sentence1 a ,state shall be considered to have been awarded a grant or cooperative agreement if the eligible entity involved is the ,state or an entity designated by the ,state under paragraph 7#a77;,b74 ,nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to apply to entities described in paragraph 7#a77;,c74 7c7 ,preference ,in providing assistance under a grant or cooperative agreement under this section1 the ,secretary shall give preference to eligible entities that have demonstrated success in increasing the level of adoption and legal guardianship competency among mental health providers1 adoption and legal guardianship lawyers1 social workers1 case workers1 adoptive parents1 and legal guardians4 7d7 ,requirement for direct services ,not less than #he percent of funds received under a grant or cooperative agreement under this section shall be used to provide direct services1 of which not less than #e percent shall be used for activities authorized under subsection 7a77#c74 7e7 ,coordination and collaboration 7#a7 ,in general ,in carrying out this section1 the ,secretary shall collaborate with relevant ,federal agencies and adoption and legal guardianship-related working groups to promote interaction between domestic foster care agencies and private adoption agencies in other countries4 7#b7 ,consultation ,in carrying out this section1 the ,secretary shall consult with-- 7,a7 ,state and social service agencies engaged in the placement of children for adoption1 domestically or from other countries2 7,b7 local and national organizations that serve foster and adopted youth and youth placed in legal guardianship2 7,c7 health and education specialists who focus on adoption1 legal guardianship1 and foster care medicine2 7,d7 youth who have been in foster care1 adopted1 or in legal guardianship1 domestically or from other countries2 7,e7 families and friends of youth who have been in foster care1 adopted1 or in legal guardianship1 domestically or from other countries2 and 7,f7 qualified professionals who possess the specialized knowledge1 skills1 experience1 and relevant attributes needed to serve children who are adopted or placed in legal guardianship and their families4 7#c7 ,policy development ,in carrying out this section1 the ,secretary shall-- 7,a7 coordinate and collaborate on policy development with the ,administration for ,children and ,families and other relevant ,department of ,health and ,human ,services agencies and adoption and legal guardianship-related working groups2 and 7,b7 consult on policy development at the ,federal level with those in the private sector engaged in the recruitment of foster and adoptive parents and legal guardians1 the placement of children in foster care1 for adoption1 and in legal guardianship1 and the provision of post-adoption and post-legal guardianship services4 7f7 ,evaluation and report 7#a7 ,evaluations by eligible entities ,not later than #ah months after receipt of a grant or cooperative agreement under this section1 an eligible entity shall submit to the ,secretary the results of an evaluation to be conducted by the entity concerning the effectiveness of the activities carried out under the grant or agreement4 7#b7 ,report ,not later than #b years after the date of enactment of this section1 the ,secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of ,congress a report concerning the results of-- 7,a7 the evaluations conducted under paragraph 7#a72 and 7,b7 an evaluation conducted by the ,secretary to analyze the effectiveness and efficacy of the activities conducted with grants1 collaborations1 and consultations under this section4 7g7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,adoption and legal guardianship competency ,the term adoption and legal guardianship competency means an understanding of-- 7,a7 the nature of adoption and legal guardianship as a form of family formation and the different types of adoption and legal guardianship2 7,b7 relevant emotional and physical issues involved in the adoption and legal guardianship process1 including issues relating to separation1 loss1 attachment1 abuse1 trauma1 and neglect2 7,c7 common developmental challenges associated with adoption and legal guardianship2 7,d7 the characteristics and skills that allow for successful adoptive and legal guardian families2 7,e7 proper sensitivity with respect to the different geographic1 ethnic1 or cultural backgrounds of children who are adopted or placed in legal guardianship and their families2 and 7,f7 the necessary skills for effectively advocating on behalf of birth and adoptive and legal guardian families4 7#b7 ,post-adoption and post-legal guardianship mental health services ,the term post-adoption and post-legal guardianship mental health services includes-- 7,a7 adoption and legal guardianship competent mental health direct services1 including training1 educational support1 counseling1 and other services for adoptive and legal guardian parents and families that address caregiver interests and concerns regarding child behavioral issues that are common among children who are adopted1 placed in legal guardianship1 or placed in foster care1 including1 as appropriate-- 7i7 caring for a child who is adopted or placed in legal guardianship and has emotional1 behavioral1 or developmental health needs2 and 7ii7 providing for the emotional needs of a child who is adopted or placed in legal guardianship1 including issues relating to attachment1 identity1 abandonment1 cultural differences1 grief1 and loss2 7,b7 peer-to-peer mentoring and support groups that permit a newly adoptive parent or legal guardian to communicate and learn from more experienced adoptive parents and legal guardians2 7,c7 the provision of informational resources and available services for adoptive parents and legal guardians2 7,d7 direct services1 including counseling1 peer-to-peer mentoring and support groups1 and other services for children who are adopted or placed in legal guardianship that address common behavioral and adjustment issues1 including1 as appropriate-- 7i7 support services for a child who is adopted or placed in legal guardianship with emotional1 behavioral1 or developmental health needs2 7ii7 support services that address the emotional needs of a child who is adopted or placed in legal guardianship1 including issues relating to attachment1 identity1 abandonment1 cultural differences1 grief1 and loss2 and 7iii7 treatment services that are specialized for children who are adopted or placed in legal guardianship1 including psychiatric residential services1 outpatient mental health services1 social skills training1 intensive in-home supervision services1 recreational therapy1 suicide prevention1 and substance abuse treatment2 7,e7 peer-to-peer mentoring and support groups that allow children who are adopted or placed in legal guardianship to communicate and socialize with other such children2 and 7,f7 crisis intervention and family preservation services4 7h7 ,funding for post-,adoption and post-,legal guardianship mental health services ,from amounts appropriated to carry out titles ,,iii1 ,v1 or ,,xix of the ,public ,health ,service ,act for each fiscal year1 #aj1jjj1jjj shall be used by the ,secretary in each such fiscal year to fund services and programs authorized under this section4 4