article: SECTION 1. MENTAL ILLNESS RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND CLINICAL CENTERS. (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 73 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: ``Sec. 7319. Mental illness research, education, and clinical centers ``(a) The purpose of this section is to improve the provision of health-care services and related counseling services to eligible veterans suffering from mental illness, especially mental illness related to service-related conditions, through research (including research on improving mental health service facilities of the Department and on improving the delivery of mental health services by the Department), education and training of personnel, and the development of improved models and systems for the furnishing of mental health services by the Department. ``(b)(1) In order to carry out the purpose of this section, the Secretary, upon the recommendation of the Under Secretary for Health and pursuant to the provisions of this subsection, shall-- ``(A) designate not more than five health-care facilities of the Department as the locations for a center of research on mental health services, on the use by the Department of specific models for furnishing such services, on education and training, and on the development and implementation of innovative clinical activities and systems of care with respect to the delivery of such services by the Department; and ``(B) subject to the appropriation of funds for such purpose, establish and operate such centers at such locations in accordance with this section. ``(2) The Secretary shall designate at least one facility under paragraph (1) not later than January 1, 1996. ``(3) The Secretary shall, upon the recommendation of the Under Secretary for Health, ensure that the facilities designated for centers under paragraph (1) are located in various geographic regions. ``(4) The Secretary may not designate any health-care facility as a location for a center under paragraph (1) unless-- ``(A) the peer review panel established under paragraph (5) has determined under that paragraph that the proposal submitted by such facility as a location for a new center under this subsection is among those proposals which have met the highest competitive standards of scientific and clinical merit; and ``(B) the Secretary, upon the recommendation of the Under Secretary for Health, determines that the facility has developed (or may reasonably be anticipated to develop)-- ``(i) an arrangement with an accredited medical school which provides education and training in psychiatry and with which the facility is affiliated under which arrangement residents receive education and training in psychiatry through regular rotation through the facility so as to provide such residents with training in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness; ``(ii) an arrangement with an accredited graduate school of psychology under which arrangement students receive education and training in clinical, counseling, or professional psychology through regular rotation through the facility so as to provide such students with training in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness; ``(iii) an arrangement under which nursing, social work, or allied health personnel receive training and education in mental health care through regular rotation through the facility; ``(iv) the ability to attract scientists who have demonstrated creativity and achievement in research-- ``(I) into the evaluation of innovative approaches to the design of mental health services; or ``(II) into the causes, prevention, and treatment of mental illness; ``(v) a policymaking advisory committee composed of appropriate mental health-care and research personnel of the facility and of the affiliated school or schools to advise the directors of the facility and the center on policy matters pertaining to the activities of the center during the period of the operation of the center; and ``(vi) the capability to evaluate effectively the activities of the center, including activities relating to the evaluation of specific efforts to improve the quality and effectiveness of mental health services provided by the Department at or through individual facilities. ``(5)(A) In order to provide advice to assist the Under Secretary for Health and the Secretary to carry out their responsibilities under this section, the official within the Central Office of the Veterans Health Administration responsible for mental health and behavioral sciences matters shall establish a panel to assess the scientific and clinical merit of proposals that are submitted to the Secretary for the establishment of new centers under this subsection. ``(B) The membership of the panel shall consist of experts in the fields of mental health research, education and training, and clinical care. Members of the panel shall serve as consultants to the Department for a period of no longer than six months. ``(C) The panel shall review each proposal submitted to the panel by the official referred to in subparagraph (A) and shall submit its views on the relative scientific and clinical merit of each such proposal to that official. ``(D) The panel shall not be subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.). ``(c) Clinical and scientific investigation activities at each center may compete for the award of funding from amounts appropriated for the Department of Veterans Affairs medical and prosthetics research account and shall receive priority in the award of funding from such account insofar as funds are awarded to projects and activities relating to mental illness. ``(d) The Under Secretary for Health shall ensure that at least three centers designated under subsection (b)(1)(A) emphasize research into means of improving the quality of care for veterans suffering from mental illness through the development of community-based alternatives to institutional treatment for such illness. ``(e) The Under Secretary for Health shall ensure that useful information produced by the research, education and training, and clinical activities of the centers established under subsection (b)(1) is disseminated throughout the Veterans Health Administration through publications and through programs of continuing medical and related education provided through regional medical education centers under subchapter VI of chapter 74 of this title and through other means. ``(f) The official within the Central Office of the Veterans Health Administration responsible for mental health and behavioral sciences matters shall be responsible for supervising the operation of the centers established pursuant to subsection (b)(1). ``(g)(1) There are authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Veterans Affairs for the basic support of the research and education and training activities of the centers established pursuant to subsection (b)(1) the following: ``(A) $3,125,000 for fiscal year 1996. ``(B) $6,250,000 for each of fiscal years 1997 through 1999. ``(2) In addition to the funds available under the authorization of appropriations in paragraph (1), the Under Secretary for Health shall allocate to such centers from other funds appropriated generally for the Department of Veterans Affairs medical care account and the Department of Veterans Affairs medical and prosthetics research account such amounts as the Under Secretary for Health determines appropriate in order to carry out the purposes of this section.''. (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 73 of such title is amended by adding at the end of the matter relating to subchapter II the following: ``7319. Mental illness research, education, and clinical centers.''. (c) Reports.--Not later than February 1 of each of 1997, 1998, and 1999, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the status and activities during the previous fiscal year of the mental illness, research, education, and clinical centers established pursuant to section 7319 of title 38, United States Code (as added by subsection (a)). Each such report shall contain the following: (1) A description of-- (A) the activities carried out at each center and the funding provided for such activities; (B) the advances made at each center in research, education and training, and clinical activities relating to mental illness in veterans; and (C) the actions taken by the Under Secretary for Health pursuant to subsection (d) of such section (as so added) to disseminate useful information derived from such activities throughout the Veterans Health Administration. (2) The Secretary's evaluations of the effectiveness of the centers in fulfilling the purposes of the centers.
summary: Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) designate not more than five facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs as locations for centers of mental health services research, education and training, and the development and implementation of innovative clinical activities and systems of care with respect to the delivery of such services by the Department; (2) subject to appropriations, establish and operate such centers; (3) designate one such center by January 1, 1996; and (4) ensure that such centers are located in various geographic regions. Requires the official within the Central Office of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) responsible for mental health and behavioral science matters to establish a panel to assess the scientific and clinical merit of proposals submitted to the Secretary for the establishment of new centers. Requires at least three centers to emphasize research into improving the quality of care provided to mentally ill veterans through the development of community-based alternatives to institutional treatment. Requires the Under Secretary for Health of the Department to ensure that useful information produced by activities at the centers is disseminated throughout the VHA. Authorizes appropriations. Requires reports.