Senate introduces bill re mental health access and suicide prevention [View all]

http://www.navytimes.com/story/veterans/2014/11/18/congress-pentagon-veterans-affairs-suicide-initiatives/19220877/

DoD, VA suicide prevention efforts on Capitol Hill
By Patricia Kime, Staff writer 1:39 p.m. EST November 18, 2014

A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation Monday designed to improve access to mental health services for troops and veterans and strengthen the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments' suicide prevention efforts.

The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention bill would require the Pentagon and VA to submit to an independent review of their suicide prevention programs.

It also would establish a website to provide consolidated information on mental health services available to veterans and seeks to improve VA's recruitment efforts for quality psychiatrists by establishing a student loan reimbursement program for doctors who sign on to work for VA for a number of years.
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Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz.; Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; Richard Burr, R-N.C.; Roy Blunt, R-Mo.; Lisa Murkowski, R-Ark.; and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., co-sponsored the bill to provide "additional resources for veterans who suffer from mental health disorders that place them on higher risk of suicide," according to a release.

"Our nation has a long way to go to decrease the rate of suicide among our veterans and we must do much better in fulfilling our responsibilities to care for those who have risked everything on behalf of their fellow Americans," the senators wrote.
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