Each day, 17 veterans, reservists, and National Guard members die by suicide.

In January 2020 the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs announced a new strategy modeled after the Center for Disease Control’s Seven Core Strategies For Suicide Prevention.

“We need a holistic approach to the public health crisis of veteran suicide,” said House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano in a recent YouTube video.

This summer the Committee introduced ten veteran suicide prevention bills.

“If we’re going to make a dent in this crisis, we need to examine every angle, factor, and intersection that leads to suicide itself. That means adopting an evidenced-based model to ensure we are addressing factors from housing insecurity to emergency mental health care access to facility infrastructure, all of which can affect a veteran in crisis,” said Takano.

If you or a veteran you know are struggling, contact the Veteran Crisis Line 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255 and select option 1, or text 838255. For more information about the Committee’s efforts to address the COVID-19 crisis and resources available for veterans, please visit: Https://Veterans.House.Gov/Covid-19.

Image from YouTube