The Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Health and Human Services have announced the progress of the agencies’ mental health services for veterans, service members and families.
According to a DoD statement, the agencies have doubled the Veterans Crisis Line’s capacity by 50% and have launched 15 pilot mental health projects in seven states.
“One of the great challenges we face as a nation is how to provide quality, accessible, long term, mental health care for service members, veterans and their families,” said Chuck Hagel, secretary of defense.
The agencies have also hired nearly 1,400 mental health providers and 248 new peer specialists.
The three agencies also announced that they have implemented a national suicide prevention campaign over the past year.
“We have made strong progress to expand veterans’ access to quality mental health services and President Obama has challenged us to do even more,†said Eric K. Shinseki, secretary of veterans.
The three agencies are working together under President Obama’s Executive Order for improved access to mental health services, launched in August 2012.
