WASHINGTON, DC- The U.S. Senate has adopted an amendment by Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) to improve mental health programs for the National Guard and Reserves. The amendment, which passed the Senate last night as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, provides a first step to giving Guard and Reserve troops returning from deployments the same access to screenings at their home station for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other health problems related to their service as active duty troops.
“This amendment is the first step towards creating a program that allows Guard and Reserve members to receive health assessments closer to home,” said Senator Casey. “Early treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, depression and other mental health related problems is time sensitive. It my hope that in a more familiar environment that servicemembers will be more open and seek help.”
For some servicemembers, the battle does not end at the borders of Iraq and Afghanistan. Stories of servicemembers in Pennsylvania and throughout the country suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), depression, and other mental health problems have become all too commonplace.
In January, Senator Casey introduced the FORCE Act, a bill that supports National Guard and Reserve members and their families by making programs and services more effective and accessible. A key component of this legislation is improving access to quality mental healthcare resources.
Currently, all servicemembers are provided an initial Post-Deployment Health Assessment (PDHA) at their demobilization site. For Guard and Reserve members, these assessments are often several states away from home, but crucial to ensuring that physical or mental problems are diagnosed and treated.
Senator Casey’s amendment requires the Department of Defense to take the first step – conducting a feasibility study – towards implementing health assessments at a Guard or Reserve member’s home station.
Post-Deployment Health Assessment Report provisions:
• No later than March 1, 2010, the Secretary of Defense must submit a report to Congress on the feasibility of providing Post-Deployment Health Assessments at a National Guard or Reserve member’s home station; and
• The study must include the following elements: the availability of qualified practitioners to perform Post-Deployment Health Assessments and the ability to provide assessments to members of the Individual Ready Reserve no later than 10 days after they return to their home station.
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