President Obama will sign Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention Act Thursday, 2/12

[pinboy3niner]

Texas woman who fought to improve veterans' care after son's suicide will attend White House bill signing

By Bruce Alpert, NOLA.com | Times-Picayune
February 09, 2015 at 6:39 PM, updated February 09, 2015 at 7:17 PM

WASHINGTON -- Susan Selke, whose Marine Corps son Clay Hunt committed suicide after deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, says her son became frustrated with bureaucratic fumbling and inertia as he sought treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

She's been fighting for better care since her son's 2011 suicide, and Thursday (February 12) is scheduled to be at the White House as President Barack Obama signs the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American veterans Act into law.

"While we are a little bittersweet, because it is too late for our son Clay, we are thankful knowing that this will save many lives," Selke, a Katy, Texas, resident, said after the Senate passed the bill 99-0 last week. The House passed the bill 403-0 on January 12.

The bill, which had strong support from the Louisiana congressional delegation, provides for better access to information on mental health, improved training and deployment of "best practices" for the VA and non-profit mental health organizations. It creates more outreach for returning veterans, sets up an impartial review of VA mental health treatment options and provides financial incentives to psychiatrists who work with veterans.

...


http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/02/texas_women_who_fought_to_impr.html

[NaturalHigh]

1. K and R

[RGinNJ]

2. Wonderful let's hope it saves many many lives.

[white cloud]

3. K&R

Great. Never understood why Colburn R-OK blocked the first bill?

[pinboy3niner]

4. Signed at 2pm today!

[nitpicker]

5. Remarks at the signing

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/232659-obama-signs-military-suicide-prevention-bill-into-law

Obama signs military suicide prevention bill into law
By Martin Matishak - 02/12/15 02:55 PM EST

President Obama on Thursday signed a $24 million bill aimed at preventing suicide among military veterans.

The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, named after a 28-year-old Marine Corps veteran who took his life in 2011, after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, calls for external audits of suicide prevention programs in the Veterans Affairs Department to determine which efforts are successful or should be cut.

It also creates a centralized website detailing mental healthcare services available from the VA and starts a three-year pilot program to repay student loan debt for those who study psychiatric medicine and commit to working for the agency.

“Today we honor a young man who isn’t here but should be here,” Obama said during a signing ceremony in the East Room of the White House. “Clay had already done a great deal of good in the world and the truth is he was just getting started.”

Obama said it is a “national mission” to make sure veterans receive the help they need to transition to civilian life.More than 8,000 veterans commit suicide every year, according to VA estimates.

Obama said the legislation would help fill “critical gaps” but warned that it is not a “complete solution.”
(snip)