U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) helped lead a bipartisan group of 33 other senators in requesting that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) conduct outreach and then provide mental health services to United States military veterans who served during the Global War on Terrorism, particularly in Afghanistan.
“More than two million veterans served during the Global War on Terrorism, including more than 800,000 in Afghanistan, and these service members deserve and earned the support that they need,” the senators wrote in an Aug. 31 letter sent to VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “We appreciate the VA’s commitment to providing mental health services to all veterans and ask, in light of the current situation, that the department accelerate its efforts to provide resources to veterans of these recent conflicts.”
Among the lawmakers who joined Sens. Cassidy and Ernst in signing the letter were U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Susan Collins (R-ME), Steve Daines (R-MT), John Hoeven (R-ND), Rob Portman (R-OH), John Thune (R-SD), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH).
They noted that while the VA recently sent out correspondence with digital links to veterans encouraging them to seek help if they are experiencing distress related to their service in Afghanistan or if they need any mental health services, this is only “a first step.”
“The VA should go beyond this initial outreach,” they wrote, requesting that the VA develop a comprehensive outreach plan to connect Afghanistan and Global War on Terrorism veterans to VA benefits and services. The plan should include proactively contacting veterans in the coming months through additional means, such as social media, phone calls, and text messages, according to their letter.
“Furthermore, VA’s outreach should consist of detailed information on clinical mental health services and community-based support systems, such as Veterans Service Organizations and VA Vet Centers,” wrote Sens. Ernst, Cassidy, and their colleagues. “Emphasis should also be placed on pairing veterans with localized support and resources.”
Jeremy Butler, CEO of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, thanked the senators for their efforts. “This has been an incredibly challenging time for the veteran community and the VA must ensure that there is a sustained, comprehensive plan to reach veterans and connect them with potentially life-saving resources both within the VA and through VSOs,” he said.