GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A bill aimed at preventing suicides among veterans passed unanimously through a Senate committee Wednesday, Jan. 21, drawing praise from the medical director of the American Psychiatric Association.
Dr. Saul Levin
“That’s wonderful news for our veterans and for psychiatry and mental health and mental illness treatment,” said Dr. Saul Levin, who came to Grand Rapids to speak at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services.
“The military and the veterans protect our country and have fought for our country,” he said. “We need to give them the services (needed) around mental health.”
Levin, the chief executive officer and medical director of the psychiatric association, met with Pine Rest doctors and discussed mental health reform and the impact of the Affordable Care Act on the delivery of care.
In an interview, he also addressed the passage of the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, which was approved by the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. The bill, which already passed the House by unanimous vote, now goes before the full Senate.
The legislation was named in honor of Clay Hunt, a 26-year-old veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and committed suicide in 2011. It aims to reduce a suicide epidemic that claims 22 veterans a day, according to the Stars and Stripes.
The bill calls for a centralized website for suicide prevention resources for veterans and for a review of the Department of Veterans Affairs mental health care and suicide prevention programs. It also seeks to help recruit psychiatrists for the VA by providing loan repayment programs for graduates in psychiatric medicine who commit to working for the VA.
In addition, the act would allow veterans access to care at Pine Rest, said Bob Nykamp, the hospital’s chief operating officer. Those who wait too long for care in the VA system can have care provided by other organizations, such as Pine Rest.
Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Georgia, the chairman of the Senate committee, said he hopes the bill is the first signed into law this year by President Obama, according to the Associated Press.
The suicide prevention act is needed to address the conditions of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury that can arise in wartime service, Levin said.
“The Clay Hunt bill is really important to ensuring we get care for our veterans,” he said. “It’s paying back and taking care of people who have taken care of us.”
More information about the Clay Hunt Act is at congress.gov.
Sue Thoms covers health care for MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. Email her at sthoms1@mlive.com or follow her on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.