Senator Murray understands the growing need to treat the
mental health conditions of our veterans and returning servicemembers. According to the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA), more than one-third of returning
The current conflicts in
NOTE: If you are a veteran experiencing mental health problems or suicidal thoughts, please visit the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Suicide Prevention Awareness website at http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/ or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). |
Senator Murray used her position on the Senate
Senator Murray coauthored and fought
to pass the Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act as part of the FY 2008
National Defense Authorization Act, and she made sure that the key provisions
of the bill were funded in the FY 2008 Defense
Senator Murray was very troubled
by news reports that revealed the shocking numbers of veterans committing
suicide. The veteran population suffers from suicide at twice the rate as the
American civilian population. Veterans between the ages of 20 and 24, who are
veterans of the wars in
To address this, Senator Murray worked tirelessly with her colleagues in Congress to pass the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act into law. The bill improves the VA’s suicide prevention procedures by requiring mental health training for VA staff and screening for suicide risk factors for veterans who receive VA care. The law also designates a suicide prevention counselor at each VA medical facility.