On Tuesday, Feb. 3, a bill aiming to improve mental health care for veterans passed in the Senate. According to the Washington Times, the legislation is named the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act. It is named for a Marine who, after finding it difficult to access adequate mental care through Veterans Affairs facilities, took his own life.
Bill calls for change
The New York Times reported that the act, which passed unanimously in both the House and the Senate, will focus on improving the quality of mental care provided by the VA. Existing programs will undergo regular outside assessments. Those in charge of the evaluations will examine all 800 VA clinics and hospitals around the nation with the hopes of figuring out what practices are efficient and what techniques should be retired.
If passed by President Obama, the legislation will also prompt the creation of a new website devoted to the mental health of veterans. The page will be interactive and easy to use, noted The New York Times. In addition to providing former soldiers with a number of helpful resources, it will feature information and support for concerned family members, friends and colleagues looking to get their loved ones help.
Five of the VA's 22 regional networks will also create peer-support programs for returning soldiers. This proposed initiative would match veterans transitioning to civilian life with more experienced peers who will be able to offer them help and support for all of their mental health issues. The bill also addresses the organization's lack of qualified and committed mental health professionals. The legislation would create a medical school loan repayment program in an effort to recruit talented physicians.
Lastly, the bill calls for an extension on the current period late-stage combat troops returning from either Iraq or Afghanistan have to take advantage of VA health benefits without showing a service-related disability, noted The New York Times. Currently, the window is five years, but if passed the bill will extend this time by 12 months.
Suicide a prominent issue for veterans
According to CNN, an estimated 22 veterans take their own lives each day in the U.S., which amounts to one death every 65 minutes. While this figure is notable, the source explained that the true number is most likely much higher. About one-fifth of all suicides in America are former soldiers. The New York Times reported that between 2009 and 2011, the suicide rate for male veterans ages 18-24 jumped from 46.1 per 100,000 to 79.1 per 100,000.
"We may never completely end this terrible epidemic that is plaguing our country, but if we can save one parent from having to bury their child, one son from losing his mother or one sister from losing her brother, it's worth trying with all our might," said Rep. Timothy J. Walz, D- Minn., the lawmaker responsible for introducing the bill into the House, upon the act's passing in the Senate.