H.R. 6024: Building Resources and Access for Veterans' Mental Health Engagement Act of 2025

This bill, known as the Building Resources and Access for Veterans' Mental Health Engagement Act of 2025 or the BRAVE Act of 2025, aims to enhance mental health services for veterans through several key initiatives.

Title I—Improvement of Workforce in Support of Mental Health Care

The bill proposes to improve the workforce supporting mental health care for veterans. This includes:

• Conducting market pay surveys to assess salary disparities for professionals, like mental health counselors and social workers, in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) compared to the private sector.
• Reporting on the qualifications of mental health appointees and allowing certain exceptions to licensure requirements as needed.
• Enhancing coordination between the VA’s clinical care system and the Readjustment Counseling Service, particularly to better serve high-risk veterans.

Title II—Improvement of Vet Center Infrastructure and Technology

This title focuses on enhancing the infrastructure and technology of Vet Centers, which provide mental health services to veterans. Key components include:

• Defining what constitutes a Vet Center.
• Mandating a report assessing the model used for expanding Vet Center locations to ensure they meet the needs of rural and high-need areas.
• Improving guidance and outreach efforts for Vet Centers to better serve veterans.
• Evaluating the technology systems used by the Readjustment Counseling Service to manage operations.

Title III—Women Veterans

This section addresses the specific needs of women veterans by:

• Conducting studies on the effectiveness of VA programs for suicide prevention and mental health outreach targeting women veterans.
• Modifying the REACH VET program to include risk factors relevant to women, such as military sexual trauma.
• Reviewing current reintegration services, particularly in retreat settings, to ensure they meet the unique needs of women veterans, including specific requests for women-only retreats and accessibility for those with disabilities.

Title IV—Other Matters

This title encompasses various provisions, including:

• Extending the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, increasing its budget and duration.
• Ensuring access to mental health residential rehabilitation for veterans with spinal cord injuries.
• Implementing annual mental health consultations for veterans receiving disability compensation related to mental health, along with outreach about available mental health services.
• Producing joint reports between the VA and the Department of Defense to improve coordination and access to mental health services for transitioning service members.

Reporting Requirements

The bill includes various reporting requirements for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, such as:

• Submitting assessments on staffing, pay disparities, and the effectiveness of outreach strategies.
• Providing reports on the appropriateness of Vet Center services and the implementation of new initiatives aimed at improving mental health services.

Relevant Companies

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