Sec. 728. Report on improvements in the identification and treatment of mental health conditions and traumatic brain injury among members of the Armed Forces
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Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report setting forth an evaluation of specific tools, processes, and best practices to improve the identification of and treatment by the Armed Forces of mental health conditions and traumatic brain injury among members of the Armed Forces. The report under subsection
(a)shall include the following: An evaluation of existing peer-to-peer identification and intervention programs in each of the Armed Forces. An evaluation of programs that provide training and certification to health care providers that treat mental health conditions and traumatic brain injury in members of the Armed Forces. An evaluation of programs and services provided by the Armed Forces that provide training and certification to providers of cognitive rehabilitation and other rehabilitation for traumatic brain injury to members of the Armed Forces. An evaluation of programs and services provided by the Armed Forces that assist members of the Armed Forces and family members affected by suicides among members of the Armed Forces. An evaluation of tools and processes used by the Armed Forces to identify traumatic brain injury in members of the Armed Forces and to distinguish mental health conditions likely caused by traumatic brain injury from mental health conditions caused by other factors. An evaluation of the unified effort of the Armed Forces to promote mental health and prevent suicide through the integration of clinical and nonclinical programs of the Armed Forces. Recommendations with respect to improving, consolidating, expanding, and standardizing the programs, services, tools, processes, and efforts described in paragraphs
(1)through (6). A description of existing efforts to reduce the time from development and testing of new mental health and traumatic brain injury tools and treatments for members of the Armed Forces to widespread dissemination of such tools and treatments among the Armed Forces. Recommendations as to the feasibility and advisability of conducting mental health assessments before the enlistment or commissioning of a member of the Armed Forces and again during the 90-day period preceding the date of discharge or release of the member from the Armed Forces, including the utility of using tools and processes in such mental health assessments that conform to those used in other mental health assessments provided to members of the Armed Forces. Recommendations on how to track changes in the mental health assessment of a member of the Armed Forces relating to traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and other conditions. Any medical or other personal information obtained pursuant to any provision of this section shall be protected from disclosure or misuse in accordance with the laws on privacy applicable to such information. No personally identifiable information may be included in the report required by subsection (a).