Improving Access to Mental Health Services for Veterans, Service Members, and Military Families
Expands Mental Health Services for Veterans, Service Members, and Families
What it does
Agencies must expand suicide-prevention services, increase crisis-line capacity, hire mental health staff, establish community partnerships, and develop coordinated research and plans.
Real-world impact
- Round-the-clock crisis-line access by phone, text, and online chat for veterans.
- VA will hire peer counselors and place more mental health professionals at medical centers.
- At least 15 community pilot programs may provide local mental health services for veterans.
Topics
Summary
This order directs federal agencies to expand suicide prevention and mental health care for veterans, service members, and their families. It calls for increasing crisis-line capacity, faster access to mental health professionals, a national suicide-prevention campaign, hiring additional mental health staff and peer counselors, and testing community partnerships to fill care gaps.
The order also creates a coordinated research plan and an interagency task force to set goals, track progress, and recommend further actions to improve care.
Questions, answered
Ask questions about this executive order and its implications. Try:
- “What agencies are affected by this order?”
- “How does this order change existing policy?”
- “What are the practical implications of this order?”