,,ii #aahth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #bjgb ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,june #ba1 #bjbc,mr4 ,padilla introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,armed ,services ,a ,,bill ,to establish a pilot program to provide mental health check-ups for students at schools operated by the ,department of ,defense ,education ,activity1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,supporting ,mental ,health for ,military ,children ,act4 #b4 ,pilot program for routine mental health check-ups in schools operated by the ,department of ,defense ,education ,activity 7a7 ,in general ,beginning not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,defense shall establish and implement a pilot program to provide routine metal health check-ups for students in covered ,,dodea schools4 7b7 ,program activities ,under the pilot program established under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7 subject to subsection 7d71 ensure that students at covered ,,dodea schools receive routine mental health check-ups1 conducted by military medical treatment facility behavioral health providers assigned to such schools1 and which may include the use of mental health screening tools1 such as the ,patient ,health ,questionnaire-#b or the ,patient ,health ,questionnaire-#i2 7#b7 ensure that such mental health check-ups-- 7,a7 consist of biannual or semesterly mental and behavioral health screenings for disorders common in children aged #c to #ag1 including-- 7i7 an initial virtual screening test for all students2 and 7ii7 a follow-up screening carried out by a school psychologist or school nurse for students with specific needs identified through the initial screening2 and 7,b7 include questions about a student's mood1 emotional state1 habits1 and behaviors to help diagnose conditions such as-- 7i7 depression2 7ii7 suicidal ideation2 7iii7 anxiety2 7iv7 attention-deficit_/hyperactivity disorder 7,,adhd72 7v7 eating disorders2 7vi7 substance abuse2 and 7vii7 dual diagnosis conditions2 7#c7 train licensed mental and behavioral health professionals to conduct mental health check-ups1 including training in-- 7,a7 recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental illnesses2 and 7,b7 safely de-escalating crises involving individuals with a mental illness2 7#d7 establish a streamlined diagnosis-to-treatment process1 including a comprehensive process through which a student with needs identified through a mental health check-up-- 7,a7 may be referred to a certified community behavioral health clinic in the community in which the school is located2 and 7,b7 may receive additional care or treatment through comprehensive school-based services2 7#e7 mobilize school nurses and counselors to facilitate screening in collaboration with administrators and teachers2 7#f7 conduct awareness-building educational efforts in conjunction with the screening process2 7#g7 implement a robust school-based and telehealth support system 7including options for individual or group therapy7 for students seeking support after diagnosis2 and 7#h7 make resources available to the communities surrounding schools for individuals with a mental illness through a coordinated referral process with local community-based health clinics and school-based mental health clinics if such school-based mental health clinics are available and have the capacity and expertise to handle complex mental health situations4 7c7 ,selection of schools 7#a7 ,initial selection ,for the one-year period beginning on the date on which the pilot program established under subsection 7a7 commences1 the ,secretary shall select #aj covered ,,dodea schools at which to carry out the pilot program4 7#b7 ,subsequent years ,for the one-year period beginning after the end of the one-year period described in paragraph 7#a71 and each one-year period thereafter until the termination of the pilot program under subsection 7h71 the ,secretary shall select an additional #aj covered ,,dodea schools at which to carry out the pilot program relative to the number of schools at which the pilot program is carried out in the preceding one-year period4 7#c7 ,selection of schools overseas ,in selecting covered ,,dodea schools under paragraph 7#a7 or 7#b7 for any one-year period1 the ,secretary shall select not fewer than #b such schools located outside the ,united ,states4 7d7 ,referral process requirements 7#a7 ,agreements with behavioral health clinics ,for purposes of the comprehensive referral process described in subsection 7b77#d71 the ,secretary of ,defense shall seek to enter into memoranda of understanding or other agreements with federally funded community behavioral health clinics in communities in which covered ,,dodea schools are located pursuant to which a school may refer students to such a clinic and make appointments for students at the clinic4 ,the requirement to establish such a referral process may not be satisfied solely by providing a list of nearby community behavioral health clinics to parents of students at covered ,,dodea schools4 7#b7 ,exception ,in a case in which the ,secretary of ,defense is unable to meet the requirements of paragraph 7#a7 because there is no federally funded community behavioral health clinic in a community in which a covered ,,dodea school is located1 the ,secretary of ,defense shall develop and make available a comprehensive guide to the mental health resources that are available to students and parents in that community4 7e7 ,student privacy protections ,in carrying out the pilot program established under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall ensure that a parent or guardian of a student at a covered ,,dodea school-- 7#a7 is provided with-- 7,a7 notice that a student may receive a mental health check-up under the pilot program2 and 7,b7 an opportunity to opt the student out of any such mental health check-up before it is administered2 and 7#b7 gives informed consent before-- 7,a7 the referral of a student to a community-based health clinic as described in subsection 7b77#d77;,a72 or 7,b7 the disclosure of any information concerning such student to such a clinic4 7f7 ,evaluations ,not later than #ahj days after commencing the pilot program under subsection 7a71 and not less frequently than every #ahj days thereafter1 the ,secretary of ,defense shall conduct an evaluation of the pilot program1 which shall include evaluation of-- 7#a7 processes under the pilot program2 and 7#b7 student outcomes under the pilot program4 7g7 ,report ,not later than one year before the pilot program terminates under subsection 7h71 the ,secretary of ,defense shall submit to the ,committees on ,armed ,services of the ,senate and the ,house of ,representatives a report on the progress of the pilot program4 ,the report shall include-- 7#a7 the results of the evaluations conducted under subsection 7f72 7#b7 an assessment of whether the pilot program should be continued2 7#c7 a strategy for expanding the pilot program to all ,,dodea schools2 and 7#d7 such other information as the ,secretary determines appropriate4 7h7 ,termination ,the pilot program established under subsection 7a7 shall terminate on the date that is #d years after the commencement of the pilot program4 7i7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this ,act such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years #bjbd through #bjbi4 7j7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,certified community behavioral health clinic ,the term certified community behavioral health clinic means a certified community behavioral health clinic as such term is used in section #bbc of the ,protecting ,access to ,medicare ,act of #bjad 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acif;a note74 7#b7 ,covered ,,dodea school ,the term covered ,,dodea school means an elementary school or secondary school-- 7,a7 operated by the ,department of ,defense ,education ,activity within or outside the ,united ,states2 and 7,b7 that the ,secretary determines has adequate mental health infrastructure in place to provide mental health check-ups under the pilot program established under subsection 7a74 7#c7 ,elementary school2 secondary school ,the terms elementary school and secondary school have the meanings given those terms in section #haja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 7#d7 ,military medical treatment facility ,the term military medical treatment facility means a facility described in subsection 7b71 7c71 or 7d7 of section #ajgc;d of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code4