Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention Act

Did you know that every day on average, 22 veterans commit suicide?  The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act will help the Department of Veterans Affairs study new strategies for suicide prevention and give student loan incentives to recruit psychiatrists to work with veterans.

The Act complements VA’s ongoing, multi-faceted efforts to improve mental health care for our nation’s veterans, and I’m pleased that both houses of Congress came together to pass the SAV Act. I’m proud to stand with President Obama today as he signs this important legislation.              

The VA has many entry points for care: medical centers, more than 800 community-based outpatient clinics, 300 Vet Centers that provide readjustment counseling, the Veterans Crisis Line, VA staff oncollege and university campuses, and the VA is offering expanded access to mental health services with longer clinic hours, telemental health capabilityto deliver services, and standards that mandate rapid access to mental health services.

The Clay Hunt SAV Act seeks to quell the suicide epidemic by:

Increasing Access to Mental Health Care and Capacity at VA to Meet Demand

• Requires VA to create a one-stop, interactive website to serve as a centralized source of information regarding all department mental health services.
• Addresses the shortage of mental health care professionals by authorizing VA to conduct a student loan repayment pilot program aimed at recruiting and retaining psychiatrists.

Improving the Quality of Care and Boosting Accountability at VA

• Requires a yearly evaluation of all VA mental health care and suicide prevention practices and programs to find out what’s working and what’s not working and make recommendations to improve care.

Developing a Community Support System for Veterans 

• Establishes a pilot program to assist veterans transitioning from active duty to veteran status.
• Requires VA to collaborate with nonprofit mental health organizations to improve the efficiency of suicide prevention efforts.

 If you need assistance or know someone who does you can contact the VA Veterans Crisis HOTLINE at1-800-273-8255 or  www.VeteransCrisisLine.net

To view the signing ceremony click here

To read the bill click here