Texas woman who fought to improve veterans' care after son's suicide will attend White House bill signing

By Bruce Alpert, NOLA.com | Times-Picayune
February 09, 2015 at 6:39 PM, updated February 09, 2015 at 7:17 PM

WASHINGTON -- Susan Selke, whose Marine Corps son Clay Hunt committed suicide after deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, says her son became frustrated with bureaucratic fumbling and inertia as he sought treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

She's been fighting for better care since her son's 2011 suicide, and Thursday (February 12) is scheduled to be at the White House as President Barack Obama signs the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American veterans Act into law.

"While we are a little bittersweet, because it is too late for our son Clay, we are thankful knowing that this will save many lives," Selke, a Katy, Texas, resident, said after the Senate passed the bill 99-0 last week. The House passed the bill 403-0 on January 12.

The bill, which had strong support from the Louisiana congressional delegation, provides for better access to information on mental health, improved training and deployment of "best practices" for the VA and non-profit mental health organizations. It creates more outreach for returning veterans, sets up an impartial review of VA mental health treatment options and provides financial incentives to psychiatrists who work with veterans.

...


http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/02/texas_women_who_fought_to_impr.html