U.S. REPS. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS AND W. TODD AKIN INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO EXPAND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR WARRIORS AND THEIR FAMILIES

Arizona Democrat and Missouri Republican team up to address post-traumatic stress disorder as the nation’s top military commander predicts a record year for Army suicides

WASHINGTON – U.S. Reps. Gabrielle Giffords and W. Todd Akin will introduce two bills on Thursday aimed at expanding mental health services for America’s service members and their families.

The effort by the Arizona Democrat and Missouri Republican to boost access to mental health treatment in the Armed Forces comes as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, anticipates a record year for suicides in the Army.

“Our men and women in uniform are ready, willing and able to stand up and defend our country when our country needs them most,” said Giffords. “We need to stand up for them and their families. Many of the mental health problems that tragically lead to suicide can and should be treated.”

Akin said mental health support is crucial for the men and women who serve in our armed forces.

“These two bills will make sure our National Guard and Reserve forces, and our veterans, get the support they need when the fighting is over and they have returned home,” he said. “The stress of combat can have long-lasting effects and as a nation we must support the men and women who have sacrificed much to keep our nation safe.”

Giffords and Akin, both members of the House Armed Services Committee, say their legislation will help confront the dire situation outlined this week by Mullen. Speaking to an audience of military families, he said the military lacks the number of mental health professionals necessary to help service members and their families deal with the stress of war.

Calling the suicide rate in the Army “exceptionally high,” Mullen said he anticipates that the Army this year will see more than the 133 suicides that took place in 2008.

The bills that will be introduced by Giffords and Akin are H.R. 2699, the Armed Forces Behavioral Health Awareness Act, and H.R. 2698, the Veterans and Survivors Behavioral Health Awareness Act.

H.R. 2699:

• Allows members of the National Guard and Reserves who served during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom but who are no longer on active duty to access counseling and related mental health services through Vet Centers
• Makes available grants to nonprofit organizations that provide emotional support services for survivors of deceased members of the Armed Forces; and
• Creates a pilot program in the Army for enhancing awareness of post-traumatic stress disorders.

H.R. 2698:

• Creates a service scholarship program to help Vet Centers recruit and retain behavioral health specialists by requiring scholarship recipients to serve in Vet Centers;
• Expands access for veterans and survivors by requiring the VA to provide referrals to vets seeking mental health care outside the VA system;
• Provides grants to nonprofit organizations that provide peer-to-peer support services to survivors; and
• Requires the VA to advise vets of their rights to apply for a review of their discharge or release from service based upon a request for counseling.