Female Veteran Suicide Prevention Act Signed into Law
July 22, 2016
A new law mandates that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) identify evidence-based programs and approaches for reducing suicide rates among female veterans. The Female Veterans Suicide Prevention Act was sponsored by U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Julia Brownley (D-CA) and signed into law by President Obama on June 30. The legislation provides funding for efforts to establish which approaches most effectively address suicide risk among female veterans. Said Senator Blumenthal, “Our bipartisan bill will help literally save lives by ensuring VA is providing the care, counseling, and outreach our women veterans need to combat the invisible wounds of war. This measure will help address the staggering rate of suicide among female veterans by ensuring that VA’s mental health and suicide prevention programs meet the gender-specific needs of our nation’s women veterans.”
Spark Extra! Read this blog post by the director of the Center for Women Veterans at VA Central Office.