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VA TO IMPLEMENT NATIONAL SUICIDE CRISIS HOTLINE --

Will be staffed by mental health professionals and will

operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

 

 

It's about time!

The only information available at this time comes from a VA press release.

I sincerely hope this operation is well-staffed and funded for the long term.

We will let you know as soon as the hotline is operational and will have the phone number posted prominently on the home page of VA Watchdog dot Org.

Press release here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/07/
vap07/vap070207-1.htm

Press release below:

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National Suicide Crisis Hot Line Planned for Veterans

Nicholson: A Call for Help Needs Immediate Response

WASHINGTON – To ensure veterans with mental health crises have immediate access to trained coordinators, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will establish a 24-hour, national suicide prevention hot line.

“This is another significant step to ensure that veterans, particularly the newest generation of combat vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, receive accessible and compassionate care for their mental health concerns,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson.

The hot line, which is scheduled to begin operations by August 31, 2007, will be based at the Canandaigua VA Medical Center in New York state. Staffed by mental health professionals, it will operate seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

In addition to staffing the hot line, the suicide prevention coordinators will take part in training clinicians and non-clinicians on warning signs for suicide, guide veterans into care and work within facilities to identify veterans at risk for suicide.

VA’s Canandaigua facility is already a VA center of excellence focused on suicide prevention, mental health education and research.

VA has the nation’s largest mental health program. The Department recently announced plans to provide suicide prevention coordinators at each of its 153 medical centers, joining more than 9,000 mental health professionals.

Mental health services are provided at each of VA’s 153 medical centers and more than 900 outpatient clinics. Last month, Nicholson announced an initiative to hire 100 new employees to provide readjustment counseling at each of the Department’s 207 community-based Vet Centers.

In July, VA will convene a four-day mental health forum in Washington with the Department’s top mental health professionals to review a wide range of issues, such as integrating mental health services with primary care, combat trauma, suicide prevention and the special needs of the newest generation of combat veterans.

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Larry Scott  --