(Washington,
D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
introduced legislation that would require the Pentagon to provide National
Guard and Reserve units with embedded mental health counselors to improve
mental health care services. The legislation, the Embedded
Mental Health Providers for Reserves Act of 2010, would provide a
consistent mental health professional in each unit to help earn the trust of
soldiers, military leaders, and family members and provide access to support
during drill weekends and family readiness events. The legislation comes as
Guard and Reserve members continue coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan, many
of whom are suffering from mental health issues that could be treated earlier
and more effectively with proper outreach and care.
“Members of the Guard and Reserve have
sacrificed so much to serve their country and we owe them nothing less than our
full support when they need our help,” said Senator Murray. “These brave men and women deserve to have
access to high quality, consistent mental health providers embedded right in
their units so they don’t have to work to find mental health care on their own. This bill will help Guard and Reserve members and
their families build strong bonds with providers in order to destigmitize care
and improve access.”
“Members
of the National Guard who return to their communities after serving in combat
often have less access to the care they need than their active duty counterparts,”
said Senator McCaskill. “This bill is all about making sure the heroic
men and women of our Guard have better access to mental health care, especially
as mental health related illnesses are plaguing our veterans in increasing
numbers, at the places where they serve their country.”
The
Embedded
Mental Health Providers for Reserves Act of 2010 builds on the Embedded
Provider pilot program with the California National Guard, which currently
supports 27 licensed behavioral health counselors embedded with 40 California
National Guard units.
The data from this
program suggests that easily available, early intervention can stem the need
for more serious treatment in the long run. When this program first began in 2006, approximately
36% of the cases seen by providers were “self initiated” by Service members
with the other 64% of the cases coming as a result of clinical outreach or
military leadership intervention. In 2010, those numbers have almost
reversed and now nearly 57% of those seeking assistance are self initiating
interaction with the provider; suggesting that time, trust, and familiarity
has reduced the stigma of talking with a counselor.
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