10 U.S. Code § 10219 - Suicide prevention and resilience program

(a) Program Requirement.—

The Secretary of Defense shall establish and carry out a program to provide members of the National Guard and Reserves and their families with training in suicide prevention, resilience, and community healing and response to suicide, including provision of such training at Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program events and activities authorized under section 582 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (10 U.S.C. 10101 note).

(b) Suicide Prevention Training.—

Under the program, the Secretary shall provide members of the National Guard and Reserves with training in suicide prevention. Such training may include—

(1) describing the warning signs for suicide and teaching effective strategies for prevention and intervention;

(2) examining the influence of military culture on risk and protective factors for suicide; and

(3) engaging in interactive case scenarios and role plays to practice effective intervention strategies.

(c) Community Response Training.—

Under the program, the Secretary shall provide the families and communities of members of the National Guard and Reserves with training in responses to suicide that promote individual and community healing. Such training may include—

(1) enhancing collaboration among community members and local service providers to create an integrated, coordinated community response to suicide;

(2) communicating best practices for preventing suicide, including safe messaging, appropriate memorial services, and media guidelines;

(3) addressing the impact of suicide on the military and the larger community, and the increased risk that can result; and

(4) managing resources to assist key community and military service providers in helping the families, friends, and fellow servicemembers of a suicide victim through the processes of grieving and healing.

(d) Community Training Assistance.—

The program shall include the provision of assistance with such training to the local communities of those servicemembers and families, to be provided in coordination with local community programs.

(e) Collaboration.—

In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall collect and analyze “lessons learned” and suggestions from State National Guard and Reserve organizations with existing or developing suicide prevention and community response programs.

(f) Outreach for Certain Members of the Reserve Components.—

(1) Upon the request of an adjutant general of a State, the Secretary may share with the adjutant general the contact information of members described in paragraph (2) who reside in such State in order for the adjutant general to include such members in suicide prevention efforts conducted under this section.

(2) Members described in this paragraph are—

(A) members of the Individual Ready Reserve; and

(B) members of a reserve component who are individual mobilization augmentees.

(g) Triennial Evaluation.—

The Secretary shall evaluate the program every third year beginning in 2022 until the program terminates to determine whether the program effectively—

(1) provides training and assistance under subsections (b), (c), and (d); and

(2) implements subsection (e).

(Added Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title V, § 581(a)(1), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1764; amended Pub. L. 113–66, div. A, title V, § 511(a), Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 751; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title V, § 565, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2138; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title V, § 544, Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1396; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title V, § 515, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1349; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title V, § 514, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3588.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Section 582 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, referred to in subsec. (a), is section 582 of Pub. L. 110–181, which is set out as a note under section 10101 of this title.

Amendments

2021—Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 116–283 struck out subsec. (h). Text read as follows: “The program under this section shall terminate on October 1, 2025.”

2019—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 116–92 added subsec. (g). Former subsec. (g) redesignated (h).

Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 116–92, § 515(1), (2), redesignated subsec. (g) as (h) and substituted “2025” for “2020”.

2017—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 115–91 substituted “October 1, 2020” for “October 1, 2018”.

2016—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 114–328 substituted “October 1, 2018” for “October 1, 2017”.

2013—Subsecs. (f), (g). Pub. L. 113–66 added subsec. (f) and redesignated former subsec. (f) as (g).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

National Guard Suicide Prevention Pilot Program

Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title VII, § 739, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1464, provided that:

“(a) Pilot Program Authorized.—

The Chief of the National Guard Bureau may carry out a pilot program to expand suicide prevention and intervention efforts at the community level through the use of a mobile application that provides the capability for a member of the National Guard to receive prompt support, including access to a behavioral health professional, on a smartphone, tablet computer, or other handheld mobile device.

“(b) Elements.—

The pilot program shall include, subject to such conditions as the Secretary may prescribe—

“(1) the use by members of the National Guard of an existing mobile application that provides the capability described in subsection (a); or

“(2) the development and use of a new mobile application that provides such capability.

“(c) Eligibility and Participation Requirements.—

The Chief of the National Guard Bureau shall establish requirements with respect to eligibility and participation in the pilot program.

“(d) Assessment Prior to Pilot Program Commencement.—

Prior to commencement of the pilot program, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau shall—

“(1) conduct an assessment of existing prevention and intervention efforts of the National Guard in each State that include the use of mobile applications that provide the capability described in subsection (a) to determine best practices for providing immediate and localized care through the use of such mobile applications; and

“(2) determine the feasibility of expanding existing programs on a national scale.

“(e) Responsibilities of Entities Participating in Pilot Program.—

Each entity that participates in the pilot program shall—

“(1) share best practices with other entities participating in the program; and

“(2) annually assess outcomes with respect to members of the National Guard.

“(f) Term.—

The pilot program shall terminate on the date that is three years after the date on which the pilot program commenced.

“(g) Reports.—

“(1) Initial report.—

If the Chief of the National Guard Bureau commences the pilot program authorized under subsection (a), not later than 180 days after the date of the commencement of such program, the Chief shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report containing a description of the pilot program and such other matters as the Chief considers appropriate.

“(2) Final report.—

“(A) In general.—

Not later than 180 days after the termination of the pilot program, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on such pilot program.

“(B) Matters included.—

The report under subparagraph (A) shall include the following:

“(i) A description of the pilot program, including any partnerships entered into by the Chief of the National Guard Bureau under the program.

“(ii) An assessment of the effectiveness of the pilot program.

“(iii) A description of costs associated with the implementation of the pilot program.

“(iv) The estimated costs of making the pilot program permanent.

“(v) A recommendation as to whether the pilot program should be extended or made permanent.

“(vi) Such other recommendations for legislative or administrative action as the Chief of the National Guard Bureau considers appropriate.

“(h) State Defined.—

In this section, the term ‘State’ means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.”