; and (3) provide for outreach to, and education programs for, qualified emergency response providers and their families, with priority given to qualified emergency response providers of major disasters. (b) Best practices research (1) In general The Secretary shall, in consultation with the heads of the agencies specified in paragraph (2), conduct or support research on best practices for providing mental health services to, and prevent suicide among, qualified emergency response providers. (2) Agencies specified The agencies specified in this paragraph are the following: (A) The Department of Homeland Security. (B) The Federal Emergency Management Agency. (C) The United States Fire Administration. (D) The National Institute of Mental Health. (E) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (F) The Department of Justice. (c) Information addressed in education programs Education provided under subsection (a)(3) shall include information designed to— (1) remove the stigma associated with mental illness; (2) encourage qualified emergency response providers to seek treatment and assistance for mental illness; (3) promote skills for coping with mental illness; and (4) help families of qualified emergency response providers with— (A) understanding issues arising from the transition of qualified emergency response providers back into family life and regular work, following the end of a disaster assignment; (B) identifying signs and symptoms of mental illness; and (C) encouraging qualified emergency response providers to seek assistance for mental illness. (d) Peer support counseling program (1) In general The Secretary shall, as part of the comprehensive program under this section, establish and carry out a peer support counseling program, under which active and retired qualified emergency response providers may volunteer as peer counselors— (A) to assist other qualified emergency response providers with issues related to mental health, readiness, and readjustment