Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 120.djvu/3441

 120 STAT. 3410

PUBLIC LAW 109–461—DEC. 22, 2006 (D) Recommendations, if any, for improvements in the provision of such treatment by such therapists.

SEC. 202. PAY COMPARABILITY FOR THE CHIEF NURSING OFFICER, OFFICE OF NURSING SERVICES. 38 USC 7404.

38 USC 1712A note.

SEC. 203. IMPROVEMENT AND EXPANSION OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.

Post-traumatic stress disorder.

VerDate 14-DEC-2004

Section 7404 is amended— (1) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘subchapter III and in’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (e), subchapter III, and’’; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: ‘‘(e) The position of Chief Nursing Officer, Office of Nursing Services, shall be exempt from the provisions of section 7451 of this title and shall be paid at a rate determined by the Secretary, not to exceed the maximum rate established for the Senior Executive Service under section 5382 of title 5.’’.

(a) REQUIRED CAPACITY FOR COMMUNITY-BASED OUTPATIENT CLINICS.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that each community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs has the capacity to provide, or monitor the provision of, mental health services to enrolled veterans who, as determined by the Secretary, are in need of such services. (2) SETTINGS.—In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure that mental health services are provided through— (A) a community-based outpatient clinic of the Department by an employee of the Department; (B) referral to another facility of the Department; (C) contract with an appropriate mental health professional in the community; or (D) telemental health services. (b) CLINICAL TRAINING AND PROTOCOLS.— (1) COLLABORATION.—The National Center on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall collaborate with the Secretary of Defense— (A) to enhance the clinical skills of military clinicians on matters relating to post-traumatic stress disorder through training, treatment protocols, web-based interventions, and the development of evidence-based interventions; and (B) to promote pre-deployment resilience and postdeployment readjustment among members of the Armed Forces serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. (2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2007 $2,000,000 to carry out this subsection. (c) MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall— (1) develop additional educational materials on post-traumatic stress disorder; and (2) undertake additional efforts to educate veterans about post-traumatic stress disorder. (d) REVIEW OF PTSD CLINICAL GUIDELINES.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall—

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