“Three veterans killed themselves last week on Department of Veterans Affairs health care properties, barely a month after President Trump announced an aggressive task force to address the unremitting problem of veteran suicide.”
“A 2015 measure that required officials to provide annual reviews of mental health care and suicide prevention programs has found that veterans often receive good mental health care at many Department of Veterans Affairs centers — but that has not decreased suicide rates. A relatively new program, known as the Mayor’s Challenge, that helps city and state governments reach more veterans through more public health programs via Veterans Affairs partnerships has shown some promise, but no data exists yet demonstrating suicide reductions…”“Mr. Trump’s executive order would also task multiple federal agencies — like the Agriculture Department in rural areas — to pitch in on veteran suicide prevention and to give grants to local governments to work with health care partners to better reach veterans… Read the full article here.
Source: V.A. Officials, and the Nation, Battle an Unrelenting Tide of Veteran Suicides – By Jennifer Steinhower, April 14, 2019. New York Times.
