On average, 20 Veterans complete suicide every day.
That is 7,300 Veteran deaths a year due to suicide, which is more than double the 2,996 deaths on September 11, 2001.
Suicide prevention among Veterans continues to be VA’s top clinical concern.
However, 14 of those 20 Veterans who complete suicide every day are not seeking care in the VA health care system. Some of those Veterans may not have been eligible for VA care due to their discharge from the military under other than honorable circumstances; yet it is these very Veterans that research demonstrates are at elevated risk for suicide.
It is for this reason that in 2017 former Secretary of the VA, David Shulkin, used his authority under current law (38 CFR 17.34) to provide VA mental health care in emergency circumstances for up to 90 days for the estimated 500,000 Veterans with other than honorable discharges. In 2018 this law was amended to provide needed mental health treatment for other than honorably discharged Veterans who served in combat or experienced military sexual trauma.
Further, the amended law does not limit the length of these services, nor whether the mental health condition needs to be service related or not.
For more information, Veterans or their families may call the Iron Mountain VA Medical Center’s Enrollment/Eligibility Office at (906) 774-3300, extension 32810 or visit www.maketheconnection.net/FindResources
VA is continually working to expand and enhance other suicide prevention initiatives as well.
VA is using innovative screening and assessment programs to identify at risk Veterans, bolstering mental health services for women Veterans, expanding telemental health services, deploying free mobile apps to help Veterans and their families, and using telephone coaching to assist families of Veterans (800-823-7458 or www.va.gov/coachingintocare). Veterans or their family and friends can also contact the Veterans Crisis Line 24/7 by calling 1-800-273-8255 (Press 1), chatting online at www.VeteransCrisisLine.net, or sending a text to 838255.
