U.S. Senator Dean Heller released the below statement after the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reported Nevada’s veteran suicide rate was significantly higher than the national veteran suicide rate. According to the report, approximately 127 veterans in Nevada died by suicide in 2014.

“The VA’s report today underscores the need for increased efforts to fight veteran suicide and close any gaps in mental health treatment, services, and care for Nevada’s warriors,” Heller said. “As a member of the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I will continue to work to ensure the department is properly equipped to support Nevada’s veterans who are suffering from invisible injuries. Recently, I was honored to meet with VA Secretary David Shulkin in Reno and shared my concerns about the challenges Nevada veterans, including those in rural areas, face when seeking care. During that meeting, I signed a pledge reaffirming my commitment to preventing veteran suicide. Life-saving resources – including the Veterans Crisis Line – must be readily accessible for our nation’s warriors. That’s why I continue to push for strong oversight and accountability at the VA, and to end the stigma of seeking help. To any Nevada veteran who is struggling today know this – you are not alone. This Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, Congress must work together to better identify solutions that will aid veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and more.”

Heller, a senior member of the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, has been a long-time champion of legislation to address veterans’ mental health services needs and help curb the veteran suicide rate. In 2015, he cosponsored the Clay Hunt SAV Act, bipartisan legislation signed into law aimed at reducing and preventing veteran suicides.

Additionally, Heller recently cosponsored the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of 2017, a bill to study and improve the national suicide hotline.

Last month, Heller hosted VA Secretary David Shulkin in Reno, Nevada, where they discussed this issue and toured the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System. Heller signed a declaration reaffirming his commitment to preventing suicide among Nevada veterans.

Heller and Shulkin at the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System

Heller signed a declaration reaffirming his commitment
to preventing suicide among Nevada veterans