releases: https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-passage-of-care-package-in-annual-defense-bill-important-step-to-combat-scourge-of-military-suicide
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-passage-of-care-package-in-annual-defense-bill-important-step-to-combat-scourge-of-military-suicide | Donnelly: Passage of ‘Care Package’ in Annual Defense Bill Important Step to Combat Scourge of Military Suicide | 2015-11-10 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | IN | Joe Donnelly | D000607 | www.donnelly.senate.gov | legacy | Donnelly: Passage of Care Package in Annual Defense Bill Important Step to Combat Scourge of Military Suicide Senate passes provisions of Donnellys Care Package as part of national defense bill Tuesday, November 10, 2015 Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly welcomed the Senate passage of the National DefenseAuthorization Act (NDAA) today with support from both parties by a vote of 91 to 3. The national defense bill includes Donnellys bipartisan Servicemember and Veteran Mental Health Care Package" ("Care Package"), which will improve mental health care for servicemembers and their families. The national defense bill has passed the Senate and House and now goes to President Obama to be signed into law. Donnelly said, The Senate passage of the Care Package today is an important step to combat the scourge of military suicide. We owe it to our servicemembers to have quality mental health care available to them, and to deliver that care in a way that meets their needs whether by the DoD, VA, or community providers. That is why I introduced the Care Package, to help improve mental health care for the men and women who have served our country. I am pleased the Senate passed the national defense bill, and I hope the President signs it into law. Donnelly has worked the past three years to advance commonsense, bipartisan legislation through his role on the Senate Armed Services Committee. In March, Donnelly introduced the Servicemember and Veteran Mental Health Care Package (Care Package), three bipartisan bills to help expand access to quality mental health care for servicemembers and veterans through both Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities, as well as local community providers. Military mental health provisions from the Care Package first passed the Senate in June as part of the national defense bill and will help ensure that there are a sufficient number of the best trained mental health providers for servicemembers and veterans. The Senate and House of Representatives recently reached an agreement on a final compromise bill. Now that both the Senate and House have approved the National Defense Authorization Act conference agreement, it must be signed into law by President Obama. As part of the Care Package, Donnelly took into account how stigma, provider shortages, and budget constraints are impacting when and how veterans and servicemembers seek care. Donnelly is working to improve access to quality mental health care through the expanded use of specially-trained community providers. Donnellys Community Provider Readiness Recognition Act (co-sponsored by Senator Joni Ernst, R-IA) is inspired by the Star Behavioral Health Provider Network, a program led by Purdues Military Family Research Institute. Donnellys provision will create a special designation for private sector, community mental health providers who demonstrate either through training or past experience a strong knowledge of military culture and evidence-based therapies for mental health issues common to veterans and servicemembers. It will create a regularly-updated online registry, so veterans and servicemembers can search for these specially-designated community providers in their area. Donnellys Military and Veterans Mental Health Provider Assessment Act (co-sponsored by Senator Roger Wicker, R-MS) will require that all DoD primary care and mental health care providers have received evidence-based training on suicide risk recognition and management and that their training be updated to keep pace with changes in mental health care best practices. Additionally, elements of Donnellys Frontline Mental Health Provider Training Act (co-sponsored by Senator John Boozman, R-AR) were included in the Senate committee report, urging DoD to train physician assistants to specialize in psychiatric care in order to help meet the increasing demands for mental health services among servicemembers and their families. To learn more about the Care Package click here. Donnellys Care Package will build on the progress made by the Jacob Sexton Military Suicide Prevention Act, which was signed into law late last year. The Sexton Act named for Hoosier Jacob Sexton, a National Guardsman who took his life in 2009 for the first time requires an annual mental health assessment for all servicemembers Active, Guard, and Reserve. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |