WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to improve suicide prevention and mental health resources for veterans, the U.S. Senate today passed the Support for Suicide Prevention Coordinators Act, which is cosponsored by U.S. Senator Jack Reed.  The legislation seeks to ensure that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has the tools needed to meet the mental health needs of the veterans they serve.

The Support for Suicide Prevention Coordinators Act requires the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct an assessment of the responsibilities, workload, and vacancy rates of the Department of Veterans Affairs Suicide Prevention Coordinators. Suicide Prevention Coordinators are on the frontlines of the VA's efforts to prevent veteran suicide.  They identify and serve high-risk veterans to ensure they receive appropriate care, conduct outreach activities, and provide education and support to VA staff.

According to the VA, as of 2019, VA suicide prevention coordinators are managing care for almost 11,000 veterans who are clinically at high-risk for suicide.

“The wounds and scars of war and continued deployments are not always visible, and we’ve got to provide veterans with high quality physical and mental health care. It’s our solemn duty to care for our veterans and we must do a better job addressing veterans suicide on a variety of fronts.  This legislation will lead to more effective, proactive interventions that can help save lives,” said Senator Reed, the Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee.  “We need to let veterans in need know we care and get them into the right care to ensure their health and safety.  Suicide prevention coordinators are a key part of the solution.  They work tirelessly to provide lifesaving care and we need to ensure they have the resources and support to be effective.”

According to the 2019 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, 45,390 American adults died from suicide in 2017, including 6,139 U.S. Veterans.  This means about 20 veterans die by suicide each day and puts the veteran suicide rate at one and a half times higher than that of nonveterans.

There were 12 veteran suicides in Rhode Island in 2017, the last year data is available. 

Senator Reed, who serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA), helped provide $8.62 billion for mental health programs in the latest MilCon-VA funding bill, which includes $206.1 million for suicide prevention outreach, an increase of $16 million above the President’s budget request.

Reed, who served in the Army, teamed up on the bill with U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), who served in the Marines Corps and is a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, and is the lead sponsor of the Support for Suicide Prevention Coordinators Act.  Additional cosponsors include: Jon Tester (D-MT), Martha McSally (R-AZ), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Doug Jones (D-AL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).

Veterans in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, and those who know a veteran in crisis, may connect with the Veterans Crisis Line to reach caring, qualified responders with the Department of Veterans Affairs: https://www.veteranscrisisline.net or call: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and Press 1.

Senator Reed is working on separate legislation, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, which would make 988 the new National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number to call for help, replacing the current 10-digit number: 1-800-273-TALK (8255).  That bill is gaining momentum as it was approved today by the Senate Commerce Committee.  It must next be placed on the Senate calendar by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) so it may considered and voted on by the full U.S. Senate.

Now that the Support for Suicide Prevention Coordinators Act has passed both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, it goes to the President’s desk to be signed into law.