,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ejcj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,november #h1        
#bjai,mr4 ,watkins introduced the       
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to direct the ,comptroller  
,general of the ,united ,states to take 
certain actions regarding suicides by   
veterans and mental health care         
furnished by the ,secretary of ,veterans
 ,affairs4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,,va ,suicide       
,prevention ,services ,accountability   
,act4  #b4 ,comptroller ,general report 
on management by ,department of         
,veterans ,affairs of veterans at high  
risk for suicide  7a7 ,in general ,not  
later than #ah months after the date of 
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states shall submit to the ,committees 
on ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate   
and ,house of ,representatives a report 
on the efforts of the ,secretary to     

manage veterans at high risk for        
suicide4  7b7 ,elements ,the report     
under subsection 7a7 shall include the  
following3 7#a7 ,an assessment of       
suicide prevention practices and        
initiatives available from the          
,department and through community       
partnerships4  7#b7 ,a description of   
how the ,department identifies veterans 
as high risk for suicide1 with          
particular consideration to the efficacy
 of inputs into the ,recovery           
,engagement and ,coordination for       
,health--,veterans ,enhanced ,treatment 
7commonly referred to as ,,reach ,,vet7 
program of the ,department1 including an
 assessment of the efficacy of such     
identifications disaggregated by age1   
gender1 and1 to the extent practicable1 
,veterans ,integrated ,service ,network1
 and medical center of the ,department4 
7#c7 ,a description of how the          
,department intervenes when a veteran is
 identified as high risk1 including an  
assessment of the efficacy of such      

interventions disaggregated by age1     
gender1 and1 to the extent practicable1 
,veterans ,integrated ,service ,network1
 and medical center of the ,department4 
7#d7 ,a description of how the          
,department monitors veterans who have  
been identified as high risk1 including 
an assessment of the efficacy of such   
monitoring and any follow-ups           
disaggregated by age1 gender1 and1 to   
the extent practicable1 ,veterans       
,integrated ,service ,network1 and      
medical center of the ,department4  7#e7
 ,a review of staffing levels of suicide
 prevention coordinators across the     
,veterans ,health ,administration4  7#f7
 ,a review of the resources and         
programming offered to family members   
and friends of veterans who have a      
mental health condition in order to     
assist that veteran in treatment and    
recovery4  7#g7 ,an assessment of such  
other areas the ,comptroller ,general   
determines appropriate4  #c4            
,comptroller ,general management review 

of mental health and suicide prevention 
services of ,department of ,veterans    
,affairs  7a7 ,in general ,not later    
than three years after the date of the  
enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller
 ,general of the ,united ,states shall  
submit to the ,committees on ,veterans' 
,affairs of the ,senate and ,house of   
,representatives a management review of 
the mental health and suicide prevention
 services provided by the ,secretary4   
7b7 ,elements ,the management review    
under subsection 7a7 shall include the  
following3 7#a7 ,an assessment of the   
infrastructure under the control of or  
available to the ,office of ,mental     
,health and ,suicide ,prevention of the 
,department4  7#b7 ,a description of the
 management and organizational structure
 of the ,office of ,mental ,health and  
,suicide ,prevention1 including roles   
and responsibilities for each position4 
7#c7 ,a review of the operational       
policies and processes of the ,office of
 ,mental ,health and ,suicide           

,prevention1 including an assessment of 
how effectively these policies and      
processes are implemented4  7#d7 ,an    
assessment of the staffing levels at the
 ,office of ,mental ,health and ,suicide
 ,prevention1 disaggregated by type of  
position1 and including the location of 
any staffing deficiencies4  7#e7 ,an    
assessment of the ,nurse ,advice ,line  
pilot program conducted by the          
,department4  7#f7 ,an assessment of    
recruitment initiatives for mental      
health professionals of the ,department1
 including any special emphasis on rural
 areas4  7#g7 ,an assessment of         
strategic planning conducted by the     
,office of ,mental ,health and ,suicide 
,prevention4  7#h7 ,an assessment of the
 communication1 and the effectiveness of
 such communication-- 7,a7 within the   
central office of the ,office of ,mental
 ,health and ,suicide ,prevention2  7,b7
 between that central office and the    
,central ,office of the ,department2    
7,c7 between that central office and    

local facilities and offices1 including 
networks and medical centers2 and  7,d7 
between that central office and         
community partners of the ,department1  
including first responders1 community   
support groups1 and health care industry
 partners4  7#i7 ,an assessment of how  
effectively the ,secretary and the      
,secretary of ,defense coordinate mental
 health and suicide prevention efforts4 
7#aj7 ,an assessment of such other areas
 the ,comptroller ,general determines   
appropriate4  #d4 ,comptroller ,general 
report on efforts of ,department of     
,veterans ,affairs to integrate mental  
health care into primary care clinics   
7a7 ,initial report  7#a7 ,in general   
,not later than two years after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act1 the     
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states shall submit to the ,committees 
on ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate   
and ,house of ,representatives a report 
on the efforts of the ,secretary to     
integrate mental health care into       

primary care clinics of the ,department4
  7#b7 ,elements ,the report under this 
subsection shall include the following3 
7,a7 ,an assessment of the efforts of   
the ,secretary to integrate mental      
health care into primary care clinics of
 the ,department4  7,b7 ,an assessment  
of the effectiveness of such efforts4   
7,c7 ,a description of how care is      
coordinated by the ,department between  
specialty mental health care and primary
 care1 including a description of the   
following3  7i7 ,how documents and      
patient information are transferred and 
the effectiveness of those transfers4   
7ii7 ,how care is coordinated when      
veterans must travel to different       
facilities of the ,department4  7iii7   
,how a veteran is reintegrated into     
primary care after receiving in-patient 
mental health care4  7,d7 ,an assessment
 of how the integration of mental health
 care into primary care clinics is      
implemented at different facilities of  
the ,department4  7,e7 ,an assessment of

 such other areas the ,comptroller      
,general determines appropriate4  7b7   
,community care integration report  7#a7
 ,in general ,not later than two years  
after the date on which the ,comptroller
 ,general submits the report under      
subsection 7a71 the ,comptroller        
,general shall submit to the ,committees
 on ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate  
and ,house of ,representatives a report 
on the efforts of the ,secretary to     
integrate community-based mental health 
care into the ,veterans ,health         
,administration4  7#b7 ,elements ,the   
report under this subsection shall      
include the following3 7,a7 ,an         
assessment of the efforts of the        
,secretary to integrate community-based 
mental health care into the ,veterans   
,health ,administration4  7,b7 ,an      
assessment of the effectiveness of such 
efforts4  7,c7 ,a description of how    
care is coordinated between providers of
 community-based mental health care and 
the ,veterans ,health ,administration1  

including a description of how documents
 and patient information are transferred
 and the effectiveness of those         
transfers between--  7i7 the ,veterans  
,health ,administration and providers of
 community-based mental health care2 and
  7ii7 providers of community-based     
mental health care and the ,veterans    
,health ,administration4  7,d7 ,an      
assessment of the extent to which the   
coordination of community-based mental  
health care varies by facilities of the 
,department4  7,e7 ,an assessment of the
 extent to which military cultural      
competency of community-based mental    
health care providers are considered in 
providing mental health care to         
veterans4  7,f7 ,an assessment of such  
other areas as the ,comptroller ,general
 considers appropriate to study4  #e4   
,definitions ,in this ,act3  7#a7 ,the  
term community-based mental health care 
means mental health care paid for by the
 ,secretary but provided by a           
non-,department health care provider at 

a non-,department facility1 including   
care furnished under section #agjc of   
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4  7#b7 
,the term ,department means the         
,department of ,veterans ,affairs4  7#c7
 ,the term ,secretary means the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs4