Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 110 Part 5.djvu/128

 110 STAT. 3202 PUBLIC LAW 104-262—OCT. 9, 1996 "(d) The finding referred to in subsection (b)(2)(B) with respect to a proposal for designation of a site as a location of a center under this section is a finding by the Secretary, upon the recommendation of the Under Secretary for Health, that the facilities submitting the proposal have developed (or may reasonably be anticipated to develop) each of the following: "(1) An arrangement with an accredited medical school that provides education and training in psychiatry and with which one or more of the participating Department facilities is afiiliated under which medical residents receive education and training in psychiatry through regular rotation through the participating Department facilities so as to provide such residents with training in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. "(2) An arrangement with an accredited graduate program of psychology under which students receive education and training in clinical, counseling, or professional psychology through regular rotation through the participating Department facilities so as to provide such students with training in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. "(3) An arrangement under which nursing, socisJ work, counseling, or allied health personnel receive training and education in mental health care through regular rotation through the participating Department facilities. "(4) The ability to attract scientists who have demonstrated achievement in research— "(A) into the evaluation of innovative approaches to the design of mental health services; or "(B) into the causes, prevention, and treatment of mental illness. "(5) 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. "(e)(1) In order to provide advice to assist the Secretary and the Under Secretary for Health 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 peer review panel to assess the scientific and clinical merit of proposals that are submitted to the Secretary for the designation of centers under this section. "(2) 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. "(3) The panel shall review each proposal submitted to the panel by the official referred to in paragraph (1) and shall submit to that official its views on the relative scientific and clinical merit of each such proposal. The panel shall specifically determine with respect to each such proposal whether that proposal is among those proposals which have met the highest competitive standards of scientific and clinical merit. "(4) The panel shall not be subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.). "(f) Clinical and scientific investigation activities at each center established under this section—

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