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VA Suicide Prevention Panel Completes
Draft Report
September 9, 2008
Group Lauds VA’s Comprehensive Strategy
WASHINGTON – A blue-ribbon panel has praised the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) for its “comprehensive strategy” in suicide prevention that
includes a “number of initiatives and innovations that hold great promise
for preventing suicide attempts and completions.”
Among the initiatives and innovations the group studied were VA’s Suicide
Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-TALK. The lifeline is staffed by trained
professionals 24 hours a day to deal with any immediate crisis that may be
taking place. Nearly 33,000 veterans, family members or friends of
veterans have called the lifeline in the year that it has been operating.
Of those, there have been more than 1,600 rescues to prevent possible
tragedy.
Other initiatives noted included the hiring of suicide prevention
coordinators at each of VA’s 153 medical facilities, the establishment of
a Mental Health Center of Excellence in Canandaigua, N.Y., focusing on
developing and testing clinical and public health intervention standards
for suicide prevention, the creation of an additional research center on
suicide prevention in Denver, which focuses on research in the clinical
and neurobiological conditions that can lead to increased suicide risk and
a plus-up in staff making more than 400 mental health professionals
entirely dedicated to suicide prevention.
 With
the praise, the panel also recommended a mixture of more research, greater
cooperation among federal agencies, and more education for health care
workers and community leaders to further strengthen and share VA’s ability
to help veterans and their families.
“Every human life is precious, none more than the men and women who serve
this nation in the military,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James
B. Peake. “The report of this blue-ribbon panel, and other efforts
underway, will ensure VA mobilizes its full resources to care for our most
vulnerable veterans.”
Called the “Blue Ribbon Work Group on Suicide Prevention,” the five-member
group was composed of suicide prevention experts from VA, the Department
of Defense, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National
Institute of Health, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration. The group was created by Peake and met June 11-13, 2008.
Among the panel’s recommendations to further enhance VA’s outstanding
programs, many of which VA has already begun to implement, are:
* Design a study that will identify suicide risk among veterans of
different conflicts, ages, genders, military branches and other factors.
VA has committed to work with other federal agencies to design such a
study within 30 days.
* Improve VA’s screening for suicide
among veterans with depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
VA is in the process of designing a new screening protocol, with pilot
test undertaken during the fiscal year quarter beginning Oct. 1, 2008.
* Ensure that evidence-based research
is used to determine the appropriateness of medications for depression,
PTSD and suicidal behavior. VA’s is providing written warnings to patients
about side effects, and the Department’s suicide prevention coordinators
are contacting health care providers to advise them of the latest
evidence-based research on medications.
* Devise a policy for protecting the
confidential records of VA patients who may also be treated by the
military’s health care system. VA is already developing a plan to clarify
the privacy rights of patients who come to VA while serving in the
military.
* Increase research about suicide
prevention. VA has announced several funding opportunities this year for
research on suicide prevention and is developing priorities for suicide
prevention research.
* Develop educational materials about
suicide prevention for families and community groups. VA is examining the
effectiveness of support groups and educational material for the families
of suicidal veterans, and producing a brochure for the families of
veterans with traumatic brain injury about suicide, which will be
available within 30 days.
* Increase training for VA chaplains
about the warning signs of suicide. VA offices responsible for chaplains
and mental health professionals are studying ways to implement this
recommendation, with a report due by Nov. 1.
* Develop a gun-safety program for
veterans with children in the home, both as a child-safety measure and a
suicide prevention effort. A VA directive establishing the program is
being developed, with full implementation expected during the fiscal year
beginning Oct. 1, 2008.
VA is the nation’s largest provider of mental health care. More than
17,000 mental health professionals, including dedicated suicide prevention
coordinators in each of VA’s 153 medical centers, are available to care
for veterans. The Department’s mental health program this year is funded
at more than $3 billion.
-------------------------
posted by Larry
Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org
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