Rep. Meadows Introduces Bill to Provide Funds for PTSD Prevention

Statement

On Wednesday, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) introduced H.R. 5440, the "Remembering the Life of Kyle Poteat Act," to improve quality and access to PTSD prevention services for America's veterans.

The bill provides financial assistance to organizations to help provide and coordinate preventative services to veterans at risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Covered services include outreach to identify veterans at risk of PTSD, baseline mental health assessments, screening, care referral, PSTD education and peer support to families and communities. This bill provides critical support for families of veterans by authorizing the Veteran Affairs Family Caregiver program to act in a consultation role to families to share information about the rights, responsibilities, benefits, services, and treatment being received by a veteran with their family.

Rep. Meadows' bill honors the life and sacrifice of Kyle Poteat--a veteran who tragically committee suicide after suffering with PTSD.

Meadows released the following statement on the bill:

"The tremendous sacrifice of Kyle Poteat in service to our country will not be forgotten. To honor him and his family, we must do all we can to support the individuals and families who suffer due to post-traumatic stress disorder. This bill seeks to accomplish that by allocating tools and resources needed by the Department of Veterans Affairs to best serve veterans and their family members in communities in Western North Carolina and across the nation."

To read more about the bill, click here.

If you, a loved one, or someone you know suffers from PTSD, help is available. Please reach out to your local VA or the National Center for PTSD or call: 1-800-273-8255.

Source