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Heinrich cosponsors veteran mental health bill

Carlsbad Current-Argus (NM) - 3/5/2015

March 05--CARLSBAD -- U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, introduced a bill Wednesday that is intended to improve mental health services for members of the military.

The bipartisan bill, which Heinrich co-sponsored with U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, would require mental health assessments for incoming recruits.

These screenings could be compared to later mental health screenings to help detect potential mental health issues earlier, a news release said.

Currently, there are no mental health screenings upon entering the service, said Whitney Potter, communications director for Heinrich.

"Those (screenings) are only on the exit from the service," Potter said. "This would add an assessment at the beginning to establish a baseline. The key piece here is the baseline."

Such measures are important in preventing suicide and enhancing mental health treatment efforts, the release said.

"There are far too many men and women in uniform suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injuries and other behavioral health conditions without the support they need," Heinrich said in the release.

The bill, known as the Medical Evaluation Parity for Servicemembers Act, has been endorsed by multiple veteran and mental health organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the National Guard Association of the United States and the American Psychological Association, the release said.

Another aspect of the bill would require the U.S. Department of Defense to report on the effectiveness of the mental health portions of an assessment done when a military member leaves active duty.

There is no cost estimate yet for implementing the proposed bill, Potter said. The bill must also pass the Senate and House before it can be signed into law.

Katie England can be reached at 575-628-5516.

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