Joshua OMVIG Veterans Suicide Prevention Act

JOSHUA OMVIG VETERANS SUICIDE PREVENTION ACT -- (House of Representatives - October 23, 2007)

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Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 327, the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act.

Mr. Speaker, the measures in this bill are designed to reduce the alarming incidence of suicides among our vets. According to a recent study conducted by Portland State University, male U.S. military veterans are twice as likely to commit suicide as men who haven't served in the armed forces. The report is a painful reminder of why we must adopt the measures outlined in this bill to assist our military personnel returning from Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Portland State study followed 320,000 men over age 18 for 12 years collecting data on those who participated in the National Health Interview Survey. The researchers found that men who had served in the military at some time between 1917 and 1994 were twice as likely to die from suicide than men in the general population. In addition, veterans who committed suicide were more likely to be older, white, better educated, and married. But the report offered few clear indicators for the high suicide rates. That in part is the purpose of this legislation--to locate the root cause of the high suicide rates and to reverse the situation.

There are approximately 25 million veterans in the United States, and 5 million veterans who receive care within the Veteran's Health Administration (VHA). Based on CDC data, VHA mental health officials estimate 1000 suicides per year among veterans receiving care with VHA and as many as 5000 per year among all living veterans.

Representative Boswell's bill is a bipartisan effort to get at the root of this troubling trend and to find solutions.

This bill requires the Veterans Administration to consider the special needs of veterans who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder and mandates the development and implementation of a comprehensive program to reduce the incidence of suicide among all veterans.

The bill accomplishes this by requiring that appropriate Veterans Administration staff are able to recognize risk factors for suicide and are aware of the proper protocols and best practices for responding to crisis situations involving veterans who may be at high risk.

The legislation also requires the designation of a suicide prevention counselor at each department medical facility and authorizes the availability of 24-hour mental health care; a hotline, staffed with trained mental health personnel; and expanded outreach and education services for veterans and their families.

We must put an end to this tragedy affecting the many vulnerable men and women who have worn our country's uniform and who serve this country proudly today. I believe this legislation is an important step in that direction, and I am happy to support it.

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