President Barack Obama on Thursday signed into law a measure that aims to curb suicide among returning veterans as a bipartisan group of lawmakers looked on.
“This is one of those areas where we can’t have an argument,” Obama said at the White House as he offered a “special acknowledgment“ to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., whom he noted was “somebody who knows a little bit about service.”
Named for another but lesser known “American sniper” who advocated for veterans’ rights, the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act seeks to improve mental health services and prevent suicide in what is described as a growing epidemic among veterans.
Between 18 and 22 veterans committed suicide each day from 1999 to 2010, according to a Department of Veterans Affairs report in 2012.
The bill would require the VA to build a one-stop website to simplify the information for mental health care services available to veterans. The agency also would audit all mental health care and suicide prevention practices to determine the most effective treatments.
A decorated Marine, Hunt served with distinction in Iraq and Afghanistan, but committed suicide in 2011 at age 28.
“The best way to honor this young man who should be here is to make sure that more veterans like him are here for all the years to come and able to make extraordinary contributions, building on what they’ve already done for our safety and our security,” Obama said.
He said the law would fill what he called “critical gaps” in serving veterans with post-traumatic stress and other illnesses. It also increases peer support and outreach to service members transitioning to civilian life and recruits psychiatry students to work at the Veterans Affairs agency after graduation.
“If you are hurting, know this: You are not forgotten,” Obama said. “You are not alone. You are never alone.”
Comments