Allred Co-leads Introduction of Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Address the Mental Health Crisis Among Veterans

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Colin Allred (D-TX-32), a member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, helped lead the introduction of the VA Zero Suicide Demonstration Project Act. This bipartisan legislation would implement a Zero Suicide Initiative pilot program at five U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers across the country, including one that must serve primarily veterans who live in rural areas. Allred was joined in introducing the legislation by Reps. Susie Lee (D-NV-03), Tony Gonzales (R-TX-23) and Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH-16).

U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), both members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, led the introduction in the Senate. 

“We can never repay our debt of gratitude to those who have served our country which is why we must keep our promise to veterans when they return home,” said Congressman Allred. “We have an urgent need to address veteran suicide, and we must be considering innovative solutions that are backed up with strong evidence to ensure we don’t lose any more veterans. That is why I’m so honored to co-lead the introduction of this bill that will establish a pilot program to see how we can best serve our veterans to prevent veteran suicide.”

“As a veteran, I know not all our injuries are physical. On average, we lose 17 veterans to suicide every day – and that’s 17 too many,” said Congressman Tony Gonzales (TX-23). “The VA Zero Suicide Demonstration Act works to bolster VA suicide prevention efforts and improves the way our VA system approaches mental health.”

“Every day in this country, seventeen veterans take their own lives – but even one is too much,” said Congresswoman Lee. “We need to do everything in our power to bring veteran deaths by suicide to zero. Of the 17 veteran deaths by suicide each day, on average, seven are among active VA patients. While we must ensure all our veterans are getting the mental health care and the resources they need, we must make a commitment to eliminating deaths by suicide among those within the VA system’s care. The Zero Suicide Initiative offers a proven, system-wide approach to close gaps, improve communication, and increase accountability within the VA, so that no veteran slips through the cracks. The goal is to expand this program to reach every veteran in America. For those men and women who put their lives on the line for our freedom, both Democrats and Republicans have to come together to support this bill. We all acknowledge that we owe each and every veteran all the resources they need to recover from the wounds of war - visible and invisible.”

“After serving our country, no veteran should feel that they lack access to the lifesaving mental health treatment they may need,” said Congressman Anthony Gonzalez (OH-16). “I am glad to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation that will launch a Zero Suicide Initiative Pilot Program at the VA. This program has seen wide success at other health care facilities and its implementation at the VA is critical to combat the troubling rise of veteran suicide.”

The VA Zero Suicide Demonstration Project Act is endorsed by key national organizations, including the Student Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, International Society of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses, American Psychiatric Association, Disabled American Veterans, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical, Social Work and National Alliance on Mental Illness.

The Zero Suicide framework is a way to improve suicide and mental health care within our health care systems. The base of the approach is the belief that suicide is preventable and that health care systems are critical in its prevention because suicide patients often receive services in the year leading up to their attempt or death. The Zero Suicide model takes a system-wide approach to mental and behavioral health services and aims to improve outcomes and close gaps in care. Zero Suicide recognizes that people experiencing suicidal thoughts often “fall through the cracks” and that there is an opportunity for our health care systems to prioritize the care they receive.

In 2019, the National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report found that an average of seventeen veterans die by suicide each day, six of which sought care from the VA prior to their death. The number of veterans lost to suicide is higher than the number of total U.S. service members killed in military operations since 9/11.

The Zero Suicide model has seen enormous success, with some health care systems experiencing a 75% reduction rate in suicide among patients in the health care system, while generally, the nation faced an increased rate of suicide. The Zero Suicide model is endorsed by numerous organizations, including the Joint Commission and the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2012 National Strategy for suicide prevention, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) funded implementation of the Zero Suicide model by numerous states, tribes, and health care systems across the country.