Congresswoman Aumua Amata, and the House Veterans Affairs Committee conducted a hearing Thursday, to examine the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) efforts to reduce suicide among veterans.
The congresswoman said, “I cannot think of a more important subject to discuss here in this committee,” said Amata. “The staggering number of veteran suicides is heartbreaking to say the least, and we must do everything we can to not just reduce, but eliminate veteran suicides altogether.
She cites the most recent report issued by the VA, released in February of 2013: there are 18 to 22 suicide deaths among veterans every day.
The report also stated that the demographic characteristics of veterans who have died by suicide are similar among those with and without a history of VA service use, and that more than 69% of all veteran suicides were among male veterans age 50 or older, compared to approximately 37% among non-veterans.
To combat the issue, last year Congress passed and the President signed into law, the Clay Hunt Veterans Suicide Prevention Act which:
(1) Requires an independent third party to evaluate VA’s mental health care/suicide prevention programs to: a) identify metrics that are common and useful for mental health/ suicide prevention practitioners; b) identify the most effective mental health/suicide prevention programs; c) identify the cost-effectiveness of mental health/suicide prevention programs; and, c) propose best practices.
(2) Requires VA to publish an interactive website to serve as a centralized source of information regarding all VA mental health services.
(3) Establishes a pilot program to repay education loans relating to psychiatric medicine for no less than 10 individuals on the condition that they agree to serve no less than 2 years of obligated service within VA.
(4) Establishes a pilot program to assist veterans transitioning from active duty to veteran status and to improve veteran access to mental health services.
(5) Requires VA to collaborate with non-profit mental health organizations to: (1) improve the efficiency and effectiveness of suicide prevention efforts; (2) assist non-profit mental health organizations through VA expertise; and, (3) to jointly carry out suicide prevention efforts.
(6) Extends an additional one-year of eligibility for VA health care services for certain combat veterans who have not enrolled and whose five year combat eligibility period recently expired.
During the hearing, Congresswoman Amata questioned Kim Ruocco, the Chief External Relations Officer for Suicide Prevention and Postvention Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, on what the VA is doing to assist surviving family members of veterans who have committed suicide.
Ms. Ruocco explained all the ways the VA is reaching out to surviving family, and helping them with the loss, including assistance with VA benefits, and counseling.
The congresswoman thanked the witnesses and said, “This is one of this committee’s most important issues, and I am confident that by working together with the VA and the Veterans Service Organizations, we can do a great deal to prevent these tragedies.”
