American Legion Praises Boozman-Authored Veteran Suicide Prevention Initiative

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), a senior member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, welcomed testimony from The American Legion on the effectiveness of the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program.

Authorization for the initiative, spearheaded by Boozman and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) in 2019 to provide essential funding for mental health outreach and suicide prevention by organizations already serving veteran communities, is set to expire later this year. The lawmakers have introduced legislation to reauthorize it, as well as increase the maximum grant available, through 2028.

"The VA recently released its annual Veteran Suicide Prevention Report. It shows that the veteran suicide crisis is continuing to rage. The report highlighted the success of the Staff Sergeant Fox Grant Program, making more than 24,000 referrals and 854 lifesaving emergency service connections," Boozman said.

"The success of the Fox Grant Program - over the years, we've seen the VA move closer and closer to the community, which is crucial because less than 50 percent of veterans use the VA. These types of programs [that] are local, that veterans trust, that provide that outreach and deal with the upstream factors of suicide like transportation, relationship issues, acute financial stress. We want to get to the veteran before there's a critical mass of despair. Programs like that are really helpful," said American Legion Director of Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Cole Lyle.