actioncorpsweekly

1. Executive Order to Improve Mental Health Care for Recently Discharged Veterans:
On Tuesday, President Trump signed an executive order requiring the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, and Homeland Security to develop and implement a joint action plan which would ensure transitioning service members have access to mental health care services. The White House announced that veterans who are 3 to 12 months out of military service are three times more likely to die from suicide than their active-duty counterparts, while those up to three months out of service were 2.5 times as likely, according to a study from the Naval Postgraduate School. One of the goals of the executive order is to provide eligibility for VA mental health care for all veterans who are within a year of their date of discharge. The VFW looks forward to working with the Administration to ensure it reduces the rate of suicide in this vulnerable population, but also devotes more resources and personnel to suicide prevention so all eligible veterans can receive timely access to the mental health care they need and deserve.