Senators call on VA to help veterans struggling with mental health

A bipartisan group of senators sent a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) urging leaders there to help veterans who are struggling with their mental health following the end of the Afghanistan War.

“More than two million veterans served during the Global War on Terrorism, including more than 800,000 in Afghanistan, and these service members deserve and earned the support that they need,” the letter reads.

“We appreciate the VA’s commitment to providing mental health services to all veterans and ask, in light of the current situation, that the Department accelerate its efforts to provide resources – to veterans of these recent conflicts,” it added.

The letter is led by Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.). Thirty-one other senators signed the document. 

That’s why I’m leading a bipartisan call urging the @DeptVetAffairs to take action and provide additional outreach and support to veterans who may be particularly struggling now. pic.twitter.com/lY8znHEVWC

— Sen. Maggie Hassan (@SenatorHassan) August 31, 2021

The letter notes suicide rates are highest among service members between the ages of 18 and 34 and that “the VA’s National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report repeatedly indicates that veterans, including those who served in Afghanistan, do not use Veterans Health Administration services aimed at decreasing suicidal ideation and suicide attempts.”

The U.S.’s 20-year military mission in Afghanistan officially came to an end on Monday.

Although ending the conflict in the region was a popular decision, the Biden administration faced bipartisan condemnation for its handling of the withdrawal as Afghanistan fell to the Taliban and the U.S. scrambled to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies.

The military lost 13 service members when a suicide bomber made it to the gates of the airport.

“We ask that the VA develop a comprehensive outreach plan to connect Afghanistan and Global War on Terrorism veterans to VA benefits and services. This plan must proactively contact veterans in the coming months through means including, but not be limited to: digital correspondence, social media, phone calls, and text messages,” the letter says.

“Furthermore, VA’s outreach should consist of detailed information on clinical mental health services and community-based support systems, such as Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) and VA Vet Centers,” it added. 

After the fall of Kabul, the Department of Veterans Affairs saw an uptick in calls to the crisis hotline.