IOM Invitation Letter

Evaluation of the Department of Veteran Affairs Mental Health Services-- OEF/OIF/OND
Veterans’ Access to Health Services Survey
OMB No. 2900-xxxx
Estimated Burden: 35 minutes
Expiration Date: xx/xx/xxxx

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995: This information is collected in accordance with section
3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Accordingly, we may not conduct or sponsor and you
are not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB number. We
anticipate that the time expended by all individuals who complete this survey will average 35 minutes.
This includes the time it will take to follow instructions, gather the necessary facts and respond to
questions asked. The purpose of this web-based survey is to help VA to better understand why
Veterans choose to use or not use VA mental health services available to them. The survey results will
lead to improvements in the quality of service delivery by helping to improve Veterans’ access to VA
mental health services. Participation in this survey is voluntary and failure to respond will have no
impact on benefits to which you may be entitled.

ATTACHMENT 1 – LEGISLATION FOR VA MENTAL HEALTH STUDY

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (HR4310)
SEC. 726. TRANSPARENCY IN MENTAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) Measurement of Mental Health Care Services.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than December 31, 2013, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall develop
and implement a comprehensive set of measures to assess mental health care services furnished by the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
(2) ELEMENTS.—The measures developed and implemented under paragraph (1) shall provide an
accurate and comprehensive assessment of the following:
(A) The timeliness of the furnishing of mental health care by the Department.
(B) The satisfaction of patients who receive mental health care services furnished by the
Department.
(C) The capacity of the Department to furnish mental health care.
(D) The availability and furnishing of evidence-based therapies by the Department.
(b) Guidelines for Staffing Mental Health Care Services.—Not later than December 31, 2013, the
Secretary shall develop and implement guidelines for the staffing of general and specialty mental health
care services, including at community-based outpatient clinics. Such guidelines shall include productivity
standards for providers of mental health care.
(c) Study Committee.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall seek to enter into a contract with the National Academy of
Sciences to create a study committee—
(A) to consult with the Secretary on the Secretary’s development and implementation of the
measures and guidelines required by subsections (a) and (b); and
(B) to conduct an assessment and provide an analysis and recommendations on the state of
Department mental health services.
(2) FUNCTIONS.—In entering into the contract described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, with
respect to paragraph (1)(B), include in such contract a provision for the study committee—

(A) to conduct a comprehensive assessment of barriers to access to mental health care by
veterans who served in the Armed Forces in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi
Freedom, or Operation New Dawn;
(B) to assess the quality of the mental health care being provided to such veterans (including the
extent to which veterans are afforded choices with respect to modes of treatment) through site
visits to facilities of the Veterans Health Administration (including at least one site visit in each
Veterans Integrated Service Network), evaluating studies of patient outcomes, and other
appropriate means;
(C) to assess whether, and the extent to which, veterans who served in the Armed Forces in
Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn are being offered

2

ATTACHMENT 1 – LEGISLATION FOR VA MENTAL HEALTH STUDY
a full range of necessary mental health services at Department health care facilities, including
early intervention services for hazardous drinking, relationship problems, and other behaviors
that create a risk for the development of a chronic mental health condition;
(D) to conduct surveys or have access to Department-administered surveys of—
(i) providers of Department mental health services;
(ii) veterans who served in the Armed Forces in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi
Freedom, or Operation New Dawn who are receiving mental health care furnished by the
Department; and
(iii) eligible veterans who served in the Armed Forces in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation
Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn who are not using Department health care services to
assess those barriers described in subparagraph (A); and
(E) to provide to the Secretary, on the basis of its assessments as delineated in subparagraphs
(A) through (C), specific, detailed recommendations—
(i) for overcoming barriers, and improving access, to timely, effective mental health care at
Department health care facilities (or, where Department facilities cannot provide such care,
through contract arrangements under existing law); and
(ii) to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of mental health services furnished by the
Secretary.
(3) PARTICIPATION BY FORMER OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES OF VETERANS HEALTH
ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary shall ensure that any contract entered into under paragraph (1)
provides for inclusion on any subcommittee which participates in conducting the assessments
and formulating the recommendations provided for in paragraph (2) at least one former official of
the Veterans Health Administration and at least two former employees of the Veterans Health
Administration who were providers of mental health care.
(4) PERIODIC REPORTS TO SECRETARY.—In entering into the contract described in paragraph
(1), the Secretary shall, with respect to paragraph (1)(A), include in such contract a provision for
the submittal to the Secretary of periodic reports and provision of other consultation to the
Secretary by the study committee to assist the Secretary in carrying out subsections (a) and (b).

(5) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 30 days after receiving a report under paragraph (4),
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 on the plans of the Secretary to
implement such recommendations submitted to the Secretary by the study committee as the
Secretary considers appropriate. Such report shall include a description of each recommendation
submitted to the Secretary that the Secretary does not plan to carry out and an explanation of why
the Secretary does not plan to carry out such recommendation.
(d) Publication.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make available to the public on an Internet website of the
Department the following:
(A) The measures and guidelines developed and implemented under this section.
(B) An assessment of the performance of the Department using such measures and guidelines.

3

ATTACHMENT 1 – LEGISLATION FOR VA MENTAL HEALTH STUDY
(2) QUARTERLY UPDATES.—The Secretary shall update the measures, guidelines, and assessment
made available to the public under paragraph (1) not less frequently than quarterly.
(e) Semiannual Reports.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than June 30, 2013, and not less frequently than twice each year thereafter,
the Secretary shall submit to the committees of Congress specified in subsection (c)(5) a report on the
Secretary’s progress in developing and implementing the measures and guidelines required by this
section.
(2) ELEMENTS.—Each report submitted under paragraph (1) shall include the following:
(A) A description of the development and implementation of the measures required by subsection (a) and
the guidelines required by subsection (b).
(B) A description of the progress made by the Secretary in developing and implementing such measures
and guidelines.
(C) An assessment of the mental health care services furnished by the Department, using the measures
developed and implemented under subsection (a).
(D) An assessment of the effectiveness of the guidelines developed and implemented under subsection
(b).
(E) Such recommendations for legislative or administrative action as the Secretary may have to improve
the effectiveness and efficiency of the mental health care services furnished under laws administered by
the Secretary.
(f) Implementation Report.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days before the date on which the Secretary begins implementing
the measures and guidelines required by this section, the Secretary shall submit to the committees of
Congress specified in subsection (c)(5) a report on the Secretary’s planned implementation of such
measures and guidelines.
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by paragraph (1) shall include the following:
(A) A detailed description of the measures and guidelines that the Secretary plans to implement under
this section.
(B) A description of the rationale for each measure and guideline the Secretary plans to implement under
this section.
(C) A discussion of each measure and guideline that the Secretary considered under this section but
chose not to implement.
(D) The number of current vacancies in mental health care provider positions in the Department.
(E) An assessment of how many additional positions are needed to meet current or expected demand for
mental health services furnished by the Department.

4