Heller leads bipartisan call for more veteran suicide prevention efforts in western states

U.S. Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) led a bipartisan call on Wednesday for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) officials to take action in response to revelations that the veteran suicide rate is 7 percent higher in western states than elsewhere in the country.

Heller and U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Steve Daines (R-MT) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT), among others, highlighted the need to expand suicide prevention efforts in western states, especially among women and those in rural areas, in a letter to VA Secretary David Shulkin.

“As our veterans return home from foreign wars, they face significant challenges readjusting to civilian life,” the letter states. “Some suffer from mental and physical injuries that make it difficult to find a job, housing and successfully reintegrate into their communities. We must do more to help these men and women who have served our country and ensure their access to proper mental health care.”

In 2014, 1,970 veterans in the West died from suicide, the letter said.

The senators voiced support for services that the VA currently provides in western states, including Vet Centers offering mental health services, online resources, and expansion of the Veterans Crisis Line and telehealth services.

“While these are steps in the right direction, there is still more work to be done, and we want to work with you and all concerned stakeholders to do more to address this public health crisis,” the senators wrote. “With so many veterans in need of mental health support, we feel strongly about providing increased transparency to our constituents and veterans so that we can help direct them to treatment when they need it.”

The senators requested an accounting of steps the VA will take to prevent further suicides, steps to expand resources in states with the highest suicide rates and obstacles to delivery of telehealth services. Additionally, the senators sought information about how VA suicide prevention services account for unique regional challenges in western states, including higher altitudes, long commutes and fewer private-sector providers.