“Of the $6.2 million budget earmarked for suicide prevention media outreach in 2018, the VA used only $57,000 — less than one percent, that’s according to a recent GAO report. When the report was released many had questions about how the money was — or was not — being spent by the VA to fight the veteran battle against suicide…”
“According to Franklin, early in the fiscal year, the program set aside a certain amount for paid media. They then took a step back to reassess the emphasis and focus of the office’s efforts — and discovered they might not be where they should be…”
“While the veterans crisis line is responsible for saving up to 60 lives a day Franklin and the VA realized they may be neglecting a significant need within the veteran community by focusing so heavily on high-risk situations…” Read the full article here.
Source: VA Director of Suicide Prevention on what really happened with their budget – By Elizabeth Howe, January 7, 2019. Connecting Vets.
