Boozman, Blumenthal Introduce Bill to Strengthen Veterans Crisis Line, Support Personnel

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) and Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) recently introduced the Veterans Crisis Line Support and Safety Act, bipartisan legislation that would improve mental health support and workplace conditions for Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) employees, many of whom are veterans themselves.

"The men and women providing instant and critical mental health support to veterans during some of their most difficult moments are an invaluable, life-saving resource. Many VCL employees are veterans themselves and understand the challenges those they serve are facing. I am proud this bipartisan legislation would guarantee their access to key tools and protections for their wellbeing, ensuring assistance for veterans in crisis is not delayed or denied," said Boozman, a senior member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and Chairman of the Military Construction and VA Appropriations Subcommittee.

"Veterans Crisis Line employees do lifesaving work every day in the most difficult circumstances. Unfortunately, these workers often face emotionally challenging situations. Our bipartisan bill will provide these employees much-needed mental health services and increased workplace protections to ensure they are given the support and space they need to serve veterans," said Blumenthal.

The VCL provides a life-saving service for responding to veterans in crisis and is an important tool for preventing veteran suicide-offering 24/7 confidential assistance through call, text or chat support. The VCL Support and Safety Act was drafted with input from employees who provided testimony about being harassed in their jobs and needing additional workplace protections given the sensitive and emotional hardships of their work. Full impact statements from VCL responders can be found HERE, HERE and HERE.

Among its many provisions, the Veterans Crisis Line Support and Safety Act would:

• Offer VCL employees free, confidential counseling and mental health care from licensed providers experienced in PTSD, trauma and compassion fatigue;
• Establish peer support programs, critical incident stress debriefing and annual resiliency/burnout-prevention training;
• Provide critical mental health services during and outside of scheduled work hours through VA and outside providers;
• Implement reasonable limits on VCL employees' workload and shift duration;
• Require mandatory rest and recovery periods after high-risk or traumatic interactions;
• Designate dedicated staff for complex or disruptive cases; and
• Ensure staffing levels at the VCL are informed by data on the volume of calls and workforce assessments.

The Veterans Crisis Line Support and Safety Act is endorsed by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) National Veterans Affairs Council.

Click here to view text of the bill.

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