Veterans experiencing a mental health emergency can contact the Veteran Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 and select option 1 for a VA staffer.
Veterans, troops or their family members can also text 838255 or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net for assistance.
Veterans Affairs officials plan to award nearly $52 million in grants for suicide prevention programs in coming months to community groups
in an effort to provide more targeted help for individuals in distress and better outreach to veterans outside the VA health care system.
Veteran suicides fell to their lowest level in 12 years in 2019, down more than one death a day from the previous year’s levels, according to data released by the Department of Veterans Affairs last fall
Despite that, the rate of suicides among veterans remains almost double the rest of the American public.
Of the estimated 17 veteran deaths by suicide each day, about 10 of them are from individuals with no contact with VA health or support services. VA officials have worked in recent years to improve outreach to that group.
Click HERE for the full story in MilitaryTimes
