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Subscribe to RSSPresident Obama issued an executive order Friday tasking the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand its suicide prevention and mental health services.
Under the order, VA is expected to increase its veteran crisis line by 50 percent by the end of the year; ensure that a veteran in distress is given access to a trained mental health worker in 24 hours or less; and launch a national 12-month suicide prevention campaign to educate veterans about available mental health services.
The order reinforces some initiatives that VA has already undertaken.
In April, VA announced that it would hire 1,600 mental health clinicians to meet surging demand, and the order instructs the agency to use loan repayment programs and scholarships, among other strategies, to recruit those professionals by June 2013.
The order also asks VA to create at least 15 pilot projects in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services to address unfilled mental health staff vacancies and long wait times. The pilots, to be created within 180 days, will test the effectiveness of partnerships with community and rural health clinics as well as substance abuse treatment centers.
Related: Military hopes antidepressant nasal spray will prevent suicides
Previous estimates have indicated that at least 6,000 veterans died by suicide annually in recent years; data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that about 18 veteran suicides occur daily.
VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki praised the order in a statement released Friday morning, saying that the agency would work to implement its requirements immediately.
"History shows that the costs of war will continue to grow for a decade or more after the wars have ended," Shinseki said. "The mental health and well-being of our brave men and women who have served the Nation is the highest priority for the Department of Veterans Affairs."
Related: Monthly Army suicides reach all-time high in July
The order targets not only immediate concerns about mental health care staffing and suicide prevention measures, but also long-term goals in understanding the science behind combat-related psychological wounds like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Along with the Department of Defense and other federal agencies, VA is directed to develop a research plan that includes efforts to better diagnose and treat PTSD and TBI.
The president delivered the order Friday as part of his visit to Fort Bliss in Texas, which marks the two-year anniversary of the end of combat operations in Iraq. He addressed troops at the Army post and held a roundtable discussion with service members and their families.
Rebecca Ruiz is a reporter at NBC News. Follow her on Twitter here.
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There goes that bleeding heart Obama again caring about the welfare of Veterans again. Its bad enough that he pulled us Veterans out of Iraq (with what we are looking at politically from the right-wing we know that we would be better off in Iraq) only to come back and be spit on like cowards by the RETARDLICANS that were too cowardly to enlist and fight for this nation that they hate with every breath we Vererans allow them to breathe. Now Obama wants to label us TRUE PATRIOTS as crazy because we'd rather die that be subject to the lies and hypocracy of a cowardly right-wing more interested in death and profitting from it than human lives? I and my brothers say,just arm us and let us loose on these loud mouthed punks that do nothing more than wave tiny plastic flags and suck up the air that we Veterans provide for their vampire selves and the leeches that they raise.
Yeh, well, I've had that feeling since Nam. It does subside and all but goes away until the Draft Dogers like Romney stick up there heads and thinks I'm going to let someone like him be Commander and Cheif? This is my dealings, different war, different times, different feelings, different mindset. I'll leave you to yours.
I'm a former Marine of 8 yrs in the 70's along with being a Drill Instructor for 2 of those 8 yrs. Don't tell me how GREAT this country is until they take care of their VETERANS 100% without question. We take 17,18,19,20 + yr olds who don't know their rear end from a hole in the ground who have been coddled by their mom/dad either as a family or single parent and turn them into men who we condition into being killers, have courage, loyalty, honor, respect for one another including GOD and country. Hell, the USMC's MOTTO is "Semper Fidelis" which is Latin for "always faithful." Then you have the special units within each branch that can teach them to kill even more without any conscious. Some of these kids come back and are okay/fine but many as we are learning do not. How many of these shooters in the civilian world have been former Marines or military? The Marine Corps was MY FAMILY, not my single parent or society. The Marine Corps taught me structure (military), how to be loyal to those that earn it, stand up for what is right, fight for the weak, etc. What they didn't do is teach any of us how to come out into this pathetic CIVILIAN world and deal with you non servers who think things are handed to you on a silver platter. You CIVILIANS live in a safe haven because someone put their name on a dotted line and agreed to stand tall and defend your rights that you so loosely throw around in conversation.
So, the next time you see a VETERAN thank he/she for the time and service that they gave you and this country so you CIVILIANS can live safer in this country we call AMERICA!!!!!!
kudos marine.
All the way, and then some.
A13P , Viet Nam Era.
You are being too kind Marine...these CIVILIANS want to strip our benefits because money means more to them than we do. The big problem with that is that they dont realize that these small benifits are the only incentive offered to us in order to risk our lives...for them. The question remains...why didnt they enlist? We know why and thats why we hate them. They are the enemy when we get home,we know that. If we disagree with them,we are not one of them but agreement means we are cowards like they are. They dont really care about us and we know that after reading the majority of comments here. They simply cant understand what we went through and then the entire disillusionment as to why we bother to protect these cowards at all. When the war finally comes to these shores...Im glad that at least they will be human shields and give their lives for us for a change.
Bobito,
You sound as though you may have seen some time in Iraq/Afghanistan. My son has had 3 tours in Iraq. The sad thing is that military personnel with psychological problems haven't necessarily been in combat and for those that have I feel for because their problems have to be 100x fold. They don't enlist because they want someone else to die for their freedom. I believe to this day that everyone born here should serve 2-4 years in the military. I believe the 14th Amendment Sect 1 should be changed to where your parents need to be citizens before their child is, due to birth within the US. Why the hell aren't the politicians talking this.
I believe like all Americans...especially those actually indiginous to this land mass should be allowed to fight and die for this land mass,Canadian or South American...we need them. Too many cowards talking chit...to many cowards here in the States. We need people with balls. Cant count on what we have here now can we? Give Americans a reason to fight...and we kick ash. Hate? Only serves cowards. These are the end times my friend and hating isnt working. I married a Guatamalan....more beautifil that the sweetist white girl and not afraid at all to kick butt or look feminine...and racists wont see me hit them if they mess with her or my kids...Im white,extreemly well built and sooooo armed that all they would see is a flash and its over. I practice what I preach...back track this blog and look at my comments...I go back to mess with the minds of those that hate Christ...and truth stops them cold.
Im not messing with these punks anymore...I was built for speed and I want them dead.
The new hospitals have already been built and staffed. Making the VA larger is nice. But fully funding existing programs like the housing voucher program, would do alot to reduce suicides.
And stop this "pre-existing condition" BS.
They were fit enought to serve damned it, take care of those men like you promised.
my 2 cents
viet nam era vet.
Thanks or serving dogmeat!!!!
Great President..OBAMA WILL WIN AGAIN !!!!! choke on that Repuks and Tea baggies
hey mr. obama - BO - hALF wHITE: why don't YOU quit MURDERING people??? That SOLVES Everything!
Yo....pseudo white Dude...lets see your papers. You think that your white but most if not all intelligent white people would call you a no class hillbilly that brought black people over here to serve as slaves to make you rich...and if you are not rich materially...why didnt you join the service to fight for America?
Let me guess you low life,uneducated Hillbilly type....you like the idea of a Veterans foot up your valiline greased ash...and dont tell me that you dont because only a gay right-wing fruitboy would admit to being an idiot like you have exposed here today.
Its about Effin time they addressed this dirty little secret . Hello ?? My best friends son was so freaked out about it and he could not understand why the Army kept it a secret . He was 18 and kept askin his Mom why would they do that , no one has to enlist today. She knew if she told him the reality of war she would scare him worse then he already was. He is in the reserves , so she did not want him that afraid. He was angry that no one noticed the trouble they were in also. As a young man he has always turned to his Mom , she is very wise. Now he has no one to turn to and is ofttimes far from home . She says he is very unhappy with the NON existing organizational skills of the Army also. I just laughed been there done that. I had 2 children by two different Vietnam Vets sure wish I could do that over!!! One child might even be still alive, not to mention the suicide of the other ones father from Agent Orange. I am a Navy brat and I never felt anger or shame as a child by my Father or any thing connected to the Navy , although I did miss him when he was gone for long periods. We were proud to be in the Navy and so was he. When the Navy came courting one of my sons he was so proud but a congenital defect in his shoulder from , you guessed it the agent orange passed down from his G.I. dad (who killed himself in 05) kept him out of the navy or any military service.
Yeah...look out for those reservists...they got trained but then,I remember Rambo and how those reservists pretended to have nuts and ordered everyone else in there to trap JJ Rambo...and the cops were the only ones with balls...and got took out hard so your point is your friend is a coward that Mommy had to rescue...must have been a Right-Winger.
Ban the homeys like they did in WW2 until they did that that the army was loosing more soldier's to suicide than to the Japanese
If they did that you would have no reason to enlist...and since you didnt all veterans look at you as a coward...so how much for a twirl girl/boy?
I love this...confront the right wingers and ask them why they didnt have the courage to join...its because the poor people have to fight for their "freedom" and then,when we get back,they accuse us of being unamerican. Why do Liberals and Independants join at such a higher rate than Retardlicans? The answer is simple...we have more courage and more ("bleeding heart" concern for this nation that they abuse...and then wonder why we want them dead. They are not trained,they dont out number us Americans and they beg to be wiped out and guess what? When food is scarce and there isnt any police left to fight...guess who becomes the menu item? Yes...and we are working on recipes for you fat people presently.
Bring it on right-wing idiots....Ill slap you cowards down every blanking time and whats worse...you are to stupid to realize what you are sucking on...and swallow anyway.
Lets delve into history...if the right wing Pharasees murdered the liberal Christ and the left wing Saducees didnt murder Christ...who is the bad guy? Liberal Communism wasnt Stalen,it was right-wing Communism that murdered millions...so what is it about the right wing of any political ideal that causes death on large scale and still is unrecognised as the death of everyone? Why does the right wing serve Satan? Dress it up and say abortion but that still doesnt explain why Bush did nothing about it in his eight years as the worst president America has ever seen so...who keeps fostering this right-wing lie?
Come on girls...you have what to say? Liberals are cowards and homos? Thats it...logic escapes you? I follow Christ,I serve Him before I serve any country or philosophy and you are worried about abortion and homos? Thats what your philosohy entails...hating people for things that you yourselves are guilty of...and I never met one republican that didnt want to go buns up for me...never. Male or female and mostly male so dont tell me you would bend over for a real man...even Frank Zappa drilled a few of you and he was a close personal friend of mine. No one goes down faster than a RETARDLICAN...Id wave it in your face and every family member of yours would go for it so lets not pretend...right wingers are the gayest of gay. You beg for the ultimate domination and will fight like dogs over a pork chop to suck its fatty juices. Ive seen it personally and love you like I would love and pay off any disease ridden prostitute.
In order to follow Christ,you first need to love the truth. Christ defines the Word. Yes,He is God but what most of you freak on is that He has a Father. You see,this ONE being at one point in what we call time...He Himself doesnt recognize time and doesnt have to. This ONE realized he was alone. This one created a vibration and split off from Himself because He desired companionship and His first born,His first creation was this unbelievable being we call Christ. The ultimate Scientist,this Artist and the most beautiful of Gods creation,a Mind so powerful that God said...I Love you and Do what you will in my name and BOOM. This is the Light,this is the light before the sun was created...and this is Jesus...The Light of His Fathers life...and none of you know the TRUTH. Christ IS GOD! All power,all has been given to Him and right-wingers arent a part of this...they murdered him.
I told you...there is no way to beat the truth. You cant accuse President Obama without having to confront what Bush left for him to clean up. You cant believe FOX without hearing the other side of the story. I hear complaints of how President Obama blames Bush for our current problems and although everyone knows how the RETARDLICANS blocked every initiative...I mean every intitiatve President Obama put forth...they blame the President for what Congress blocked so that they could worship rich people.
This is the truth,history bares witness to this prostitution that the right wing offers to the slime-bags destroying America...and they say what? Its poor people that they made poor? Its welfare until they themselves go on food stamps? Feed the beast you right wing racists until the people you starve start eating you...liars,haters,thieves and unamerican fools that never served this nation you leech off of...white? Hardly...white people have intelligence and class...we white people reject you.
Hey Bobito time to get your meds adjusted Dude , you are starting to babble.
Babble is where you came from...try a logical arguement with me as i make you suck your own butt hole...Im looking forward to making a retardlican lick herself like a dog...up front and personal...Id fold you like a piece of paper but try it here ,and lick yourself anyway.
Id like to meet your stupid ash...teach you a lesson that Im sure is well deserved. To be a spoiled brat is one thing never afforded to me...to treat you like a rape victim would be a pleasure...and Id make you love it.
They cant fight truth so listen to me....my country men. Listen to me...we have a fight coming up and the rich,the elite,need us to fight and we dont respect them. We are about to be invaded. All sides and all fronts with a nation of spoiled brats. This is what we have to work with,tough guys that cant keep their own pants up. Im not fooling you. The elite from now on will be people that can kill without looking back. We have to kill our own kind to survive.
The invasion is soon and we need veterans...we need even illegals,we have spoilded brats that cant fight without a Mommy...and these are not men...Ill give this period one more year and these idiot pricks need to die. I wont protect them,I cant,I have my own family and they arent worth it unless they are vets,they need to die
Who's next? Give me your right-wing idiots and let me make them gay(since they are already its a trick question...Ive got black guys lined up waiting to drill these pseudo white people...they are used to bending over for rich guys...Ill make them serve a purpose and make some money on the side and believe me...for a few pennies and not to get beat up by a black guy again...they sell their own Mommies...believe that.
RCR...there you go...reach under and hold them tight as I plow that hershey highway...whoops,sorry to poke your eye...next time open your mouth...so how is the ole lady doing with a coward for a son like you? Look.its not your fault being a gay right winger sucking only white guys....your Mommy did the same thing and still gave birth to an abortion like you....dont blame her for being a hooker.
Next?
No phoney like the right wing...I love the target and want them dead. Ill work behind the scenes to murderr these childrenb of Satan...and I wilol do it up close and p0ersonal. My hands wrapped arond their cowardly thought as I watch them die....I live for killing them. You reap what you sow...I give my life to see them die...as they beg me to spare them. I love it...If Im the devil than you are my sacrifice to Satan and I want you phoney christians deade...good luck =next time you run into me...Ill kill you.
Its not about expanding suicide preventive programs. It should be to have "ACTUAL" people that have a "SINCERE" desire to "HELP" the vet.
VA's famous words: "Lets Talk"
Talk is cheap. And that is EXactly what the VA does. Advertise, Advertise, Advertise on what their doing for their local Vets to make it sound good and not actually having the sincere people to put their words in action.
(my opinion) The Iron Mtn, MI. VA fits this perfectly
How does this "OPPORTUNITY" to get psychological counseling affect their ability to own a hand gun?
Will even "ONE HELPFUL VISIT" eliminate their ability to get a CONCEAL-CARRY permit?
One more executive decision to UNARM our HONORABLY discharged vets?
WAKE UP AMERICA!!! WAKE UP AMERICA!!! WAKE UP AMERICA!!!
For a nation that allows approximately 200,000 homeless veterans to sleep on the streets, we need a lot more than what the President has offered. Tending to their mental health is only a fraction of what is needed for their situations to improve.
First the President is not the First black president.............He is of mixed race. And if you notice, now that this is an election year, he is doing good things for that purpose only. He is so inexperience and good for a talk show only. He is bias against the monority white race and nothing will change. People need to accept the reason why he was voted in as president. Certainly not for is experience as a leader.