“The last several years have seen significant increases in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ mental health and suicide prevention budget, staff, and programs; however, we have not seen a corresponding decrease in the number of our Nation’s heroes who take their own lives. What is more, for some groups of veterans, including female veterans and veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, suicide rates are actually getting worse”, Rep. Miller.
On January 12, 2015 Rep. Jeff Miller of Florida moved to suspend the rules and pass a bill (H.R. 203) . HR 203 seeks to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide for the conduct of annual evaluations of mental health care and suicide prevention programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The bill reads in part:
“The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may collaborate with non-profit mental health organizations to prevent suicide among veterans as follows:
(1) To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of suicide prevention efforts carried out by the Secretary and non-profit mental health organizations.
(2) To assist non-profit mental health organizations with the suicide prevention efforts of such organizations through the use of the expertise of employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(3) To jointly carry out suicide prevention efforts.
(b) Exchange of Resources.–In carrying out any collaboration under subsection (a), the Secretary and any non-profit mental health organization with which the Secretary is collaborating under such subsection shall exchange training sessions and best practices to help with the suicide prevention efforts of the Department and such organization.
(c) Director of Suicide Prevention Coordination.–The Secretary shall select within the Department a Director of Suicide Prevention Coordination to undertake any collaboration with non-profit mental health organizations under this section or any other provision of law.”
Source: Congressional Record
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