CINCINNATI — Veteran mental health is a top priority for the candidates running for Ohio's 1st Congressional District. As Election Day approaches, Congressman Greg Landsman (OH-01) introduces bipartisan legislation to strengthen suicide prevention and mental health support for veterans.
"With this bill is to take those best practices and spread them across the country, and to make sure that every single program that's engaging a veteran or trying to engage veterans who need help, are doing it in a way that works," Landsman said.
In partnership with Democratic Rep. Chris Delluzio (PA-17) and Republican Reps. Morgan Luttrell (TX-08) and Derrick Van Orden (R-WI-03), Landsman's What Works for Preventing Veteran Suicide Act requires the VA to track spending to see what's working to prevent veteran suicide and find the best practices for suicide prevention.
"Right now, the VA spends, you know, millions, tens of millions of dollars on suicide prevention work. Some of it works and some of it doesn't. We need to get to a point where it all works so that we're helping all of our veterans and that's what this bill does," Landsman said.
According to the latest Congressional Research Service report, roughly $16 billion in funding is available for veteran suicide prevention and mental health programs. This bill would require the VA to create and promote best practices for suicide prevention and grant programs that would allow effective data collection.
Landsman said this would not impact taxpayer dollars but improve and better support programs similar to Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and Save A Warrior.
Orlando Sonza, director of the Hamilton County Veterans Service Commission, is running against Landsman in Ohio's 1st Congressional District. He said this bill does not address all of veterans' needs.
"We've done more in 90 days than I think this commission has seen in over 10 years. We're expanding services to include dental care for veterans, and acquiring new mobile vans that are wheelchair accessible to take veterans to and from their medical appointments so they're not depending on the bus. Let's actually do substance we will do that when we take back this seat," Sonza said.
Save a Warrior founder and president Dr. Jake Clark said the bill "just makes good sense."
"We're constantly raising funds because the need is so great, and every one of these deaths is preventable," said Clark. "Putting resources towards solutions that work just makes it common sense."
