WASHINGTON – Senator Chuck Grassley, along with Senator Tom Harkin, today introduced legislation to direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to immediately begin implementing a comprehensive program to prevent suicide among veterans.
“We’ve heard tragic stories of our servicemen and women coming home only to deal with continued mental anguish as they readjust to civilian life,” Grassley said. “Veterans don’t simply have physical ailments, often they are struggling mentally. We need to fight stigmas and reach out to these veterans to ensure that they receive the treatment they need”
The bill is named for Joshua Omvig, a young Iowan from Grundy Center who committed suicide after returning home from serving his country in Iraq.
The Department of Veterans Affairs recently completed a comprehensive strategic plan for the mental health of veterans. The bill introduced today would require the Department to implement key measures consistent with that plan that could help identify potential suicide risks and encourage veterans to seek treatment.
Grassley said some of the key provisions of the bill include training Veterans Affairs employees to notice risk factors for suicide and in best practices for suicide prevention; educating families about issues that can arise in readjustment to civilian life, identifying symptoms of mental health problems, and encouraging veterans to seek treatment; developing a peer support program using other veterans as volunteer peer counselors; and collaborating with other agencies to ensure that veterans in rural areas have access to quality mental health treatment.
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