DONNELLY CONTINUES EFFORTS TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH CARE FOR SERVICE MEMBERS

U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly continued his efforts to improve mental health care for service members with the approval of his bipartisan Frontline Mental Health Provider Act by the Senate Armed Services Committee and its inclusion in the national defense bill. In an effort to address the shortage of mental health care providers within the Department of Defense, the Frontline Mental Health Provider Act would expand the availability of Physician Assistants to provide mental health care evaluations and services for service members and their families. The bill would establish a pilot program to expand the use of Physician Assistants specializing in psychiatric medicine to help meet the increasing demand for mental health care and improve access to quality care for service members. In addition to the Frontline Mental Health Provider Act, Donnelly authored or promoted several provisions to support military mental health, which will also advance to the full Senate as part of the national defense bill. According to the Department of Defense, in 2015, 475 service members took their own lives. This marks the fourth consecutive year that more troops were lost to suicide than combat.