Sec. 402. Oversight of mental health and suicide prevention media outreach conducted by Department of Veterans Affairs
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The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish goals for the mental health and suicide prevention media outreach campaigns of the Department of Veterans Affairs in raising awareness about mental health and suicide prevention. The goals established under paragraph
(1)shall be measured by metrics specific to different media types as follows: Metrics relating to social media shall include the following: Impressions. Reach. Engagement rate. Such other metrics as the Secretary considers necessary. Metrics relating to television shall include the following: Nielsen ratings. Such other metrics as the Secretary considers necessary. Metrics relating to email shall include the following: Open rate. Response rate Click rate. Such other metrics as the Secretary considers necessary. The Secretary shall periodically update the metrics under subparagraph
(A)as more accurate metrics become available. The Secretary shall develop targets to track the metrics used under paragraph (2). In establishing goals under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consult with the following: Relevant stakeholders, such as organizations that represent veterans, as determined by the Secretary. Mental health and suicide prevention experts. Such other persons as the Secretary considers appropriate. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report detailing the goals established under paragraph
(1)for the mental health and suicide prevention media outreach campaigns of the Department in raising awareness about mental health and suicide prevention, including the metrics and targets for such metrics by which those goals are to be measured under paragraph (2). Not later than one year after the submittal of the report under paragraph (3), and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report detailing— the progress of the Department in meeting the goals established under paragraph
(1)and targets developed under paragraph (3); and a description of action to be taken by the Department to modify mental health and suicide prevention media outreach campaigns if those goals and targets are not being met. Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a process to oversee the mental health and suicide prevention media outreach campaigns of the Department. The process established under paragraph
(1)shall include the following components: A delineation of the roles and responsibilities of all suicide prevention officials within the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention of the Veterans Health Administration. A schedule for creating, approving, implementing, and evaluating all unpaid media and paid media content relating to mental health and suicide prevention. Lines of reporting, as the Secretary considers necessary, to report to management information relating to the mental health and suicide prevention media outreach campaigns of the Department. The Secretary shall ensure that each contract into which the Secretary enters to develop mental health and suicide prevention outreach media includes requirements that the contractor— track metrics used by the Secretary under subsection (a)(2); and not less frequently than quarterly, report such metrics to the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention of the Veterans Health Administration. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and semiannually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report containing the expenditures and obligations of the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention of the Veterans Health Administration during the period covered by the report.