Young Reacts to GAO Report Which Finds Lack of Veterans Crisis Line Responses

Iowa Congressman David Young released the following statement after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report finding almost 30 percent of text messages sent as a test to the Veterans Crisis Line went unanswered - echoing concerns he expressed when testifying before the U.S. House Committee on Veterans' Affairs about legislation he introduced to address this issue. The Veterans Crisis Line is the confidential, toll free hotline for veterans seeking suicide prevention and crisis assistance from Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) responders.

"Our veterans deserve quality mental health care resources, yet this recent report further highlights unacceptable problems with the Veterans Crisis Line," Congressman Young said. "I've heard from Iowa veterans concerned about the Veterans Crisis Line - enough is enough - the VA must improve the responsiveness and performance of this hotline immediately. Our veterans must have access to the best mental health care resources possible."

Earlier this month, Congressman Young introduced the No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act (H.R.5392) after hearing concerns voiced by Iowa veterans about unanswered calls, emails or other communications, and failed attempts to receive help from the Veterans Crisis Line. The experiences veterans conveyed to Congressman Young directly dispute previous assurances from the VA to congressional veterans' affairs committees that problems like these had been addressed.

Congressman Young's bill requires the VA to undertake necessary responsiveness and performance improvements to the Veterans Crisis Line to protect our nation's veterans during their time of need.

The No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act Directs the VA Secretary to:

Create a quality assurance process outlining performance indicators and objectives to address responsiveness and performance of the Veterans Crisis Line and backup call centers, and a timeline noting when objectives will be reached.
Develop a plan to ensure any communication to the Veterans Crisis Line or backup call center is answered in a timely manner by a person in accordance with the guidance established by the American Association of Suicidology.
Submit the plan to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate within 180 days of the legislation's enactment.

More on the No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act:

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