For several years, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has made reducing suicides among Veterans a top clinical priority, recognizing this goal will require an approach that addresses many factors that affect Veterans' risk of suicide. While access to health care and mental health services are crucial, evidence suggests that Veterans' risk of suicide is also affected by factors such as stable housing, food security, education and employment.
928, the Not Just a Number Act, would require VA to produce and post an annual National Veteran Suicide Prevention report to include findings on suicide rates among Veterans, information on their use of VA health care, Vet Centers and various VA benefits and services. In addition, the bill would require information about Veterans use of education programs, job training and housing utilization and an analysis of which benefits and services have the greatest impact on preventing suicide. To promote this more comprehensive view of Veterans' needs, the bill would require VA to assess the possibility of moving the Office of Suicide Prevention to the Secretary's level. Finally, it aims to improve suicide data collection, reporting and analysis.
DAV Resolution No. 433 calls on VA to address social determinants of health to create more equitable outcomes for Veterans, and allows DAV to give its support to this bill.
DAV National Commander Joe Parsetich stated, "As DAV and our million-plus members continue our work to combat suicide among Veterans, it remains imperative that our nation is armed with data that provides a holistic view of what works best in our fight to prevent these tragic outcomes. This bill would help the VA and other federal, state, and local government agencies better understand the role education, job training, and housing programs play in the Veteran suicide epidemic. DAV is proud to support S. 928, the Not Just a Number Act, and we applaud Sens. Tester and Boozman for their bipartisan leadership in introducing this important legislation."
Please use the prepared letter to urge your Senators to cosponsor S. 928.