Center for Mental Health Services National Advisory Council
Authority
This charter renews the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) National Advisory Council in accordance with the provisions of 42 U.S.C. 290aa-1, section 502 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. The CMHS National Advisory Council is governed by the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 5 U.S.C. App., which sets forth standards for the formation and use of advisory committees.
Objectives and Scope of Activities
The Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and by delegation, the Administrator, SAMHSA, and the Director, CMHS are authorized by sections 520-520B, 521-535, 561-565, 1911-1920, and 1941-1954 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 290bb-31 through 290cc-35, 290ff through 290ff-4, 300x-1 through 300x-9, and 300x-51 through 300x-64 respectively, to improve the mental health of the people of the United States by designing national priorities for the prevention and treatment of mental illness and the promotion of mental health; encouraging and assisting local entities and State agencies to achieve these goals as priorities; involving consumers and families fully in orienting the mental health system toward recovery; improving access to quality care that is culturally competent; developing and coordinating Federal prevention policies and programs; eliminating disparities in mental health services; making early mental health screening, assessment and referral to services common practice; advancing evidence-based practices; and developing and implementing health technology and tele-health systems to improve access and coordination of mental health care.
Description of Duties
The CMHS National Advisory Council may, on the basis of material provided, make recommendations to the Director of the Center with respect to activities conducted at the Center; shall review summary statements for applications submitted for grants and cooperative agreements for activities for which Advisory Council approval is required under section 504(c)(2) of the Public Health Service Act and recommend for approval applications for projects that show promise of making valuable contributions to the Center's mission; and may review any grant or cooperative agreement proposed to be made or entered into by the organization. The Advisory Council may collect, by correspondence or by personal investigation, information as to studies and services that are being carried on in the United States or any other country as to diseases, disorders or other aspects of human health with respect to the mission of CMHS, and, with the approval of the Director of the Center, make such information available through appropriate publications for the benefit of public and private health entities and health professions personnel and for the information of the general public. Also, the Advisory Council may appoint subcommittees and convene workshops and conferences.
Agency or Official to Whom the Committee Reports
The CMHS National Advisory Council shall advise, consult with, and make recommendations to the Secretary, HHS; the Administrator, SAMHSA; and the Director, CMHS, concerning matters relating to the activities carried out by and through the Center and the policies respecting such activities.
Support
Management and support services shall be provided by the Office of Program Analysis and Coordination, CMHS, SAMHSA.
Estimate Annual Operating Costs and Staff Years
The estimated annual cost for operating the Advisory Council, including compensation and travel expenses for members but excluding staff support, is $72,209. The estimate of annual person-years of staff support required is 1 full-time equivalent, at an estimated annual cost of $99,194.
Designated Federal Officer
The Director, CMHS, shall designate a Center staff member to serve as the Designated Federal Officer (DFO) of the Advisory Council. The DFO will approve or call all of the advisory council’s meetings and subcommittees’ meetings, prepare and approve meeting agendas, attend all council and subcommittee meetings, adjourn any meeting when the DFO determines adjournment to be in the public interest, and chair meetings when directed to do so by the official to whom the advisory council reports.
Estimated Number and Frequency of Meetings
The CMHS National Advisory Council shall meet no less than two times during each fiscal year. The location of the meetings of the Advisory Council shall be subject to the approval of the Administrator, SAMHSA and or Director, CMHS.
CMHS National Advisory Council Meetings shall be open to the public except as determined otherwise by the Secretary of HHS (or the designee), in accordance with the Government in the Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C. 552b(c)) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Notice of all meetings shall be given to the public. In the event a portion of a meeting is closed to the public, a report shall be prepared which shall contain, at a minimum, a list of members and their business addresses, the CMHS Council’s functions, dates, and places of meetings, and a summary of Council activities and recommendations made during the fiscal year.
Duration
Continuing.
Termination
Unless renewed by appropriate action prior to its expiration, the charter for the CMHS National Advisory Council will terminate two years from the date the charter is filed.
Membership and Designation
The CMHS National Advisory Council shall consist of the following nonvoting ex-officio members: the Secretary, HHS; the Administrator, SAMHSA; the Director, CMHS; the Chief Medical Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (or the designees of such officers); and such additional officers or employees of the United States as the Secretary determines necessary for the Advisory Council to effectively carry out its functions; and not more than 12 members to be appointed by the Secretary. Of the 12 appointed members, 9 members shall be from among the leading representatives of the health disciplines (including public health and behavioral and social sciences) relevant to the activities of CMHS; and 3 members shall be from the general public and shall include leaders in the fields of public policy, public relations, law, health policy economics, or management. All members shall serve as Special Government Employees.
A quorum for the conduct of Council business is the majority (one more than one-half) of the authorized voting membership.
The Secretary, HHS, may select an individual from among the appointed members, or may select the Director, CMHS to serve as chair of the Council. The term of office of the chair shall be two years.
The term of office of a member of the CMHS Council shall be four years, except that a member may serve after the expiration of the member’s term until a successor has been appointed and taken office. Initial appointments shall be made in such a manner as to ensure that the terms of the members not all expire in the same year. Terms of more than two years are contingent upon renewal of the Advisory Council's charter by appropriate action prior to its expiration. A member who has been appointed for a term of four years may not be reappointed to an advisory council before two years from the date of expiration of such term of office.
The Director, CMHS, shall provide orientation and training for new members of the Advisory Council and shall also provide them with such information and training as may be appropriate for their effective participation in the functions of the Council.
Subcommittee
Subcommittees composed of members and nonmembers of the parent committee may be established by the parent committee with the approval of the Administrator, SAMHSA, or Director, CMHS. The advice/recommendations of a subcommittee must be deliberated by the parent committee. A subcommittee may not provide advice or work products directly to the agency. The Department Committee Management Officer will be notified upon establishment of each subcommittee and will be provided information on its name, membership, function, and estimated frequency of meetings.
Recordkeeping
The records of the CMHS National Advisory Council shall be handled in accordance with General Records Schedule 26, Item 2 or other approved agency records disposition schedule. These records shall be available for public inspection and copying, subject to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552.
