Sec. 595. Coordination with non-government suicide prevention organizations and agencies to assist in reducing suicides
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/bill/114/hr/1735/rh/section-595·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Secretary of Defense shall develop a policy to coordinate the efforts of the Department of Defense and non-government suicide prevention organizations regarding— the use of such non-government organizations to reduce the number of suicides among members of the Armed Forces by comprehensively addressing the needs of members of the Armed Forces who have been identified as being at risk of suicide; the delineation of the responsibilities within the Department of Defense regarding interaction with such organizations; and the collection of data regarding the efficacy and cost of coordinating with such organizations; and the preparation and preservation of any reporting material the Secretary determines necessary to carry out this section.
The policy required by paragraph
(1)shall include a policy on the identification of appropriate non-government organizations by the Secretary of Defense using factors developed by the Secretary. Such factors shall include— the record of an organization in reducing suicide rates among participants in the programs carried out by the organization; the familiarity of an organization with the structure, ethos, and environment of the Armed Forces; the demonstrated experience of an organization in understanding and working with injured and disabled members of the Armed Forces, including those who were injured in combat; the expertise of an organization in improving the emotional well being, mental clarity, and ability to perform missions of program participants; and the expertise of an organization in improving the health and fitness of program participants. The Secretary of Defense shall be authorized to take any necessary measures to prevent suicides by members of the Armed Forces, including by facilitating the access of members of the Armed Forces to successful non-governmental treatment regimen. In developing the policy under this subsection, the Secretary of Defense shall consult with the Secretaries of each of the military departments and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau. Not later than 180 days 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 House of Representatives a copy of the policy developed under this section. The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that the policy developed under this section is implemented by not later than the date that is 180 days after the submission of the policy under paragraph (1).