1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the "Veterans Mental Health and Addiction Therapy Quality of Care Act".

2. Study on quality of care difference between mental health and addiction therapy care provided by health care providers of Department of Veterans Affairs compared to non-Department providers

(a) In general - Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall seek to enter into an agreement with an independent and objective organization outside the Department of Veterans Affairs under which that organization shall—

(1) conduct a study on the quality of care difference between mental health and addiction therapy care under the laws administered by the Secretary provided by health care providers of the Department compared to non-Department providers across various modalities, such as telehealth, in-patient, intensive out-patient, out-patient, and residential treatment; and

(2) submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and publish on a publicly available website a report containing the final results of such study.

(b) Timing - The Secretary shall ensure that the organization with which the Secretary enters into an agreement pursuant to subsection (a) is able to complete the requirements under such subsection by not later than 18 months after the date on which the agreement is entered into.

(c) Elements - The report submitted pursuant to subsection (a)(2) shall include an assessment of the following:

(1) The amount of improvement in health outcomes from start of treatment to completion, including symptom scores and suicide risk using evidence-based scales, including the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale.

(2) Whether providers of the Department and non-Department providers are using evidence-based practices in the treatment of mental health and addiction therapy care, including criteria set forth by the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

(3) Potential gaps in coordination between providers of the Department and non-Department providers in responding to individuals seeking mental health or addiction therapy care, including the sharing of patient health records.

(4) Implementation of veteran-centric care, including the level of satisfaction of patients with care and the competency of providers with the unique experiences and needs of the military and veteran population.

(5) Whether veterans with co-occurring conditions receive integrated care to holistically address their needs.

(6) Whether providers monitor health outcomes continually throughout treatment and at regular intervals for up to three years after treatment.

(7) The average length of time to initiate services, which shall include a comparison of the average length of time between the initial point of contact after patient outreach to the point of initial service, as measured or determined by the Secretary.