| Washington, D.C. (May 9, 2019)—This week, the Subcommittee on National Security held a hearing on "Veteran and Active-Duty Military Suicides." TAKEAWAYS - Democratic and Republican Members of the Subcommittee agreed about the need for bipartisan, comprehensive solutions to address the suicide crisis facing our nation's veterans and active-duty servicemembers. Members from both parties recognized the need for the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to work hand-in-hand to provide high-quality healthcare and suicide prevention treatment options to the U.S. military community.
- Dr. Karin Orvis, Director of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office at DOD, and Dr. Richard Stone, Executive in Charge at the Veterans Health Administration, testified that the one-year transition period from active-duty to veteran status is an especially stressful time for servicemembers that can increase the risk of destructive behavior. DOD and VA must ensure an effective, consistent handoff for transitioning servicemembers and continue to monitor them beyond their transition period.
- Terri Tanielian, a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation, testified to the importance of developing and testing programs that promote the safe handling and storage of firearms. Firearms are the primary method of suicide by both active-duty (62.2% of suicides in 2016) and veteran servicemembers (69.4% of suicides in 2016).
- As most veterans do not receive healthcare services through the VA, Ms. Tanielian testified about the need for improving the training and education of private healthcare providers to care for veterans and servicemembers, as well as to better identify warning signs of potential distress.
WITNESSES Captain (Dr.) Mike Colston Director, Mental Health Programs U.S. Department of Defense Dr. Karin Orvis Director, Defense Suicide Prevention Office U.S. Department of Defense Dr. Richard Stone Executive in Charge Veterans Health Administration U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Dr. Keita Franklin National Director for Suicide Prevention Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Terri Tanielian Senior Behavioral Scientist RAND Corporation VIDEOS Watch Chairman Lynch's opening statement. Watch Rep. Welch's question line. Watch Rep. DeSaulnier's question line. Watch Del. Plaskett's question line. | 