VA seeks $727M for suicide prevention programs reviews don't cover

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking $727 million in fiscal 2027 for its suicide prevention programs, a 31% increase in two years. The independent review Congress ordered to identify which VA programs work best says there is no scientifically supported way to compare them. The request is up from an estimated $714 million in fiscal 2026 and $556 million in fiscal 2025, according to VA’s budget submission. In a February news release, Secretary Doug Collins said VA was mounting, "for the first time in VA history, a serious effort to track the efficacy of the hundreds of millions the department spends per year in this area to ensure we have real solutions, not just rhetoric." kAm%96 r=2J wF?E $F:4:56 !C6G6?E:@? 7@C p>6C:42? '6E6C2?D p4E[ 25@AE65 :? a_`d[ 5:C64ED 'p E@ 9:C6 2? :?56A6?56?E E9:C5 A2CEJ E@ 6G2=F2E6 :ED >6?E2= 962=E9 2?5 DF:4:56 AC6G6?E:@? AC@8C2>D 6G6CJ J62C[ :56?E:7J E96 >@DE 67764E:G6 @?6D 2?5 56E6C>:?6 E96 4@DE\67764E:G6?6DD @7 6249[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 E6IE @7 E96 =2H] %96 D64C6E2CJ >FDE D6?5 E96 6G2=F2E:@?D E@ E96 w@FD6 2?5 $6?2E6 '6E6C2?D’ p772:CD 4@>>:EE66D 3J s64] ` 2??F2==J] 'p 92D 4@?EC24E65 E96 H@C< D:?46 a_a_ E@ pAE:G6 w%v[ 2 8@G6C?>6?E 4@?DF=E:?8 7:C>[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 C6A@CED]k^Am kAm%96 >@DE C646?E AF3=:4=J 2G2:=23=6 6G2=F2E:@? :D E96 a_ab C6A@CE[ DF3>:EE65 E92E }@G6>36C] p r6?E6C $BF2C6 D62C49 %F6D52J @7 v@Gx?7@[ E96 v@G6C?>6?E !F3=:D9:?8 ~77:46VD 4@==64E:@? @7 4@?8C6DD:@?2==J >2?52E65 C6A@CED[ EFC?65 FA ?@ =2E6C C6A@CED] %96 a_ab 6G2=F2E:@? 2DD6DD65 6:89E 'p >6?E2= 962=E9 EC62E>6?E AC@8C2>D[ :?4=F5:?8 86?6C2= >6?E2= 962=E9[ DA64:2=:K65 A@DE\EC2F>2E:4 DEC6DD 5:D@C56C 42C6 2?5 DF3DE2?46 FD6 5:D@C56C EC62E>6?E] }@?6 @7 E96 DF:4:56 AC6G6?E:@? AC@8C2>D E96 Sfaf >:==:@? H@F=5 7F?5 H6C6 2DD6DD65]k^Am kAm%96 a_ac 2?5 a_ad 6G2=F2E:@?D H6C6 DF3>:EE65 E@ r@?8C6DD @? D4965F=6[ E96 $6?2E6 2?5 w@FD6 '6E6C2?DV p772:CD 4@>>:EE66D 4@?7:C>65[ 2?5 3@E9 AC@G:565 4@A:6D E@ %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6] }6:E96C 2AA62CD @? v@Gx?7@] %96 w@FD6 4@>>:EE66 D2:5 :ED DE2?52C5 AC24E:46 :D ?@E E@ AF3=:D9 6G6CJ 4@?8C6DD:@?2==J >2?52E65 C6A@CE :E C646:G6D[ 2?5 E92E E96 C6A@CED :?DE625 :?7@C> E96 4@>>:EE66VD =68:D=2E:G6 2?5 @G6CD:89E H@C<]k^Am kAm}6:E96C 6G2=F2E:@? 6I2>:?6D E96 'p AC@8C2>D E96 Sfaf >:==:@? H@F=5 7F?5] q@E9 2DD6DD65 E96 D2>6 6:89E 4=:?:42= EC62E>6?E AC@8C2>D E96 a_ab C6A@CE 4@G6C65] %96 '6E6C2?D rC:D:D {:?6[ E96 $E277 $6C862?E !2C<6C v@C5@? u@I 8C2?E AC@8C2> 2?5 E96 56A2CE>6?EVD DF:4:56 AC6G6?E:@? 4@@C5:?2E@CD H6C6 ?@E 2>@?8 E96>]k^Am kAm%96 '6E6C2?D rC:D:D {:?6 244@F?ED 7@C Sb`a]g >:==:@? @7 E96 C6BF6DE[ E96 u@I 8C2?E AC@8C2> S```]h >:==:@?[ F?492?865 7C@> 'pVD 4FCC6?E 7:D42= a_ae 6DE:>2E6[ 2?5 DF:4:56 AC6G6?E:@? 4@@C5:?2E@CD 2?5 E62>D S``_]a >:==:@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 'p’D 3F586E DF3>:DD:@?] %96 C6DE 7F?5D E96 56A2CE>6?E’D $F:4:56 !C6G6?E:@? a]_ :?:E:2E:G6[ :ED ?2E:@?2= DEC2E68J[ 46?E6CD @7 6I46==6?46 2?5 =@42= @FEC6249]k^Am kAm%96 a_ad 6G2=F2E:@? D2JD E96 4@>A2C:D@? E96 =2H 42==D 7@C 42??@E 36 >256]k^Am kAmQ%96C6 :D ?@ 4=:?:42==J 2AAC@AC:2E6 2?5 D4:6?E:7:42==J DFAA@CE65 >6E9@5 E@ 4@>A2C6 67764E:G6?6DD 36EH66? AC@8C2>D[Q E96 C6A@CE DE2E6D[ 3642FD6 6249 D6CG6D 2 5:776C6?E A@AF=2E:@? H:E9 5:776C6?E 8@2=D] xED C64@>>6?52E:@?D 2D< 'p E@ DE2CE 4@==64E:?8 @FE4@>6 52E2 @? DF:4:56 AC6G6?E:@? AC@8C2>D E92E 2C6 ?@E 4FCC6?E=J DFCG6J65[ D@ E92E 7FEFC6 6G2=F2E:@?D 42? 4@G6C E96>]k^Am kAm'p AC6DD D64C6E2CJ "F:?? $=2G6? E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 E96 56A2CE>6?E 4@>>:EE65 `__T @7 E96 2==@42E65 DF:4:56 AC6G6?E:@? 7F?5D :? 7:D42= a_ae H:E9 ?@?6 =2AD65 @C C6AC@8C2>>65] pD<65 H92E @FE4@>6 >62DFC6 'p FD6D E@ ;F586 H96E96C E96 >@?6J :D H@C<:?8[ $=2G6? A@:?E65 E@ E96 2??F2= C6A@CEVD 7:?5:?8Di ea]aT @7 G6E6C2?D H9@ 5:65 3J DF:4:56 :? a_ac H6C6 ?@E C646:G:?8 'p 962=E9 42C6 E92E J62C @C E96 J62C 367@C6[ 2?5 H9:=6 DF:4:56 C2E6D 7@C 'wp 6?C@==66D 76== a]aT 36EH66? a__` 2?5 a_ac[ C2E6D 7@C F?6?C@==65 G6E6C2?D C@D6 f_]gT]k^Am kAm$=2G6? D2:5 96 4@F=5 ?@E 255C6DD 2 7FCE96C BF6DE:@?[ 23@FE H9J E9@D6 AC@8C2>D 2C6 ?@E 6G2=F2E65[ 367@C6 AF3=:42E:@? 3642FD6 @7 E96 7656C2= 9@=:52J]k^Am kAm'pVD 2??F2= C6A@CE[ C6=62D65 $6AE] b_[ 4@F?E65 e[cgg G6E6C2? DF:4:56D :? a_ac[ 2? 2G6C286 @7 `f]f 2 52J] %96 DF:4:56 C2E6 2>@?8 G6E6C2?D H2D >@C6 E92? 5@F3=6 E96 C2E6 7@C @E96C 25F=ED[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 2??F2= C6A@CE] %96 C6A@CE DE2E6D E92E :E :D ?@E 2? 6G2=F2E:@? @7 E96 :>A24E @7 'p’D DF:4:56 AC6G6?E:@? AC@8C2>D]k^Am kAm'6E6C2?D :? 4C:D:D 42? C6249 E96 '6E6C2?D rC:D:D {:?6 3J 5:2=:?8 hgg 2?5 AC6DD:?8 `[ 492EE:?8 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^'6E6C2?DrC:D:D{:?6]?6E^r92EQm'6E6C2?DrC:D:D{:?6]?6E^r92Ek^2m[ @C E6IE:?8 gbgadd]k^Am