Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act of 2021

Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act of 2021

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), during FY2022, to establish and maintain three new centers of the Rural Access Network for Growth Enhancement (RANGE) Program in areas with interest from personnel and a need for additional mental health care for rural veterans. The RANGE Program serves veterans in rural areas who are experiencing mental illness.

The bill requires the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study and report on whether the VA has sufficient resources to serve rural veterans who need mental health care that is more intensive than traditional outpatient therapy.

Bill 117 HR 2441, also known as the Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act of 2021, aims to improve mental health services for rural veterans in the United States. The bill is named after Sergeant Brandon Ketchum, a veteran who tragically took his own life after struggling with mental health issues.

The main provisions of the bill include increasing access to mental health care for rural veterans by expanding telehealth services, establishing a grant program to support mental health services in rural areas, and improving coordination between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and community organizations.

Additionally, the bill seeks to enhance mental health training for VA health care providers and increase outreach efforts to ensure that rural veterans are aware of the mental health services available to them. The bill also aims to address the unique challenges faced by rural veterans, such as limited access to mental health care providers and transportation issues. Overall, the Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act of 2021 is a bipartisan effort to improve mental health services for rural veterans and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues in the veteran community.