Veterans Groups Demand Accountability for VA’s $571M Suicide Prevention Budget

As the number of veterans committing suicide stays alarmingly high, groups that support veterans are asking Doug Collins, Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to look into how the VA spends its $571 million fund for suicide prevention. Some groups, like the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the Grunt Style Foundation, say that the money hasn't made a big difference and are calling for the VA to be more open and effective in how it does things.

President of the Grunt Style Foundation, Tim Jensen, stressed how significant the problem was by saying that about 156,000 veterans have died by suicide in the last 20 years. Jensen told Task & Purpose, "That is just frankly unacceptable." He said the VA to rethink its plans and ensure money is used wisely.

With more than 1.4 million members, the VFW is the country's largest combat veterans service group. They have teamed up with the Grunt Style Foundation to look into other ways to help veterans' mental health. Some of these are pushing non-traditional ways to treat PTSD and lowering the shame that surrounds mental health care.

A VFW spokesman named Robert Couture stressed the importance of being proactive about teaching and outreach. He said, "We need to work together to make campaigns that teach veterans, their families, and the public about mental health resources."

Both groups will present to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs in February. They want to demand more oversight and responsibility in the way the VA spends its large budget on suicide prevention. The agency is asking for even more money for the next fiscal year, and veterans' rights groups are calling for results instead of just more money.

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