A bill aimed at improving mental health care services for veterans has been introduced in the Senate. It comes on the heels of DAV’s special report, Women Veterans: The Journey to Mental Wellness, and includes provisions based on several of DAV’s recommendations.

S. 5210 was introduced by Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Sen. Jon Tester and calls for the following:

  • A study on the effectiveness of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) suicide prevention and mental health outreach programs for women veterans
  • A modification of VA’s algorithm used to predict high-risk for suicide among veterans to incorporate risk factors weighted for women veterans, such as military sexual trauma
  • A review and report on reintegration and readjustment services for veterans and family members in group retreat settings

Data released by VA last year showed there was a nearly 25% increase in suicide among women veterans between 2020 and 2021. Women Veterans: The Journey to Mental Wellness is one of most comprehensive assessments of the unique factors contributing to the staggering rates of suicide among women veterans and how the system charged with their mental health care can and must do better.

Using the latest in research and data, combined with a thorough review of the VA’s available services, the report showed that too many women veterans are at risk of falling through the cracks due to gaps in lifesaving mental health care. DAV’s report identifies over 50 policy and legislative recommendations intended to spark necessary and urgent change that can save lives.

“This bill is a positive and much-needed step forward to ensuring the best in mental health care for women veterans,” said DAV National Legislative Director Joy Ilem. “As DAV’s report clearly demonstrated, the VA must use gender-tailored approaches to suicide prevention and mental health care. We are grateful to Senator Tester for introducing this critical legislation and for working alongside DAV to ensure this bill represents the needs of women veterans.”

 

Read the full report at womenveterans.org and join our advocacy efforts by becoming part of DAV’s Commander’s Action Network at DAVCAN.org.