Central ND News

U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer from North Dakota and Chris Coons from Delaware have taken a bipartisan initiative to address a gap in veteran suicide prevention funding in their states. They introduced the Every State Counts for Veterans Mental Health Act, focusing on the distribution of funds from the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP).

The SSG Fox SPGP was created under the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019, with a budget of $174 million for the period of Fiscal Year 2021 through Fiscal Year 2025. This program intends to support veteran suicide prevention through community-based initiatives. However, states like North Dakota and Delaware have not received any of these funds.

Senator Cramer emphasized the need to fulfill the promise of providing veterans with timely mental healthcare, particularly in rural settings like North Dakota. “Veterans across North Dakota and the nation bravely served our country and have been promised timely access to mental healthcare, no matter where they live,” he stated. The bill seeks to ensure that "North Dakota veterans receive suicide prevention support if they need it."

Senator Coons highlighted the significance of addressing this funding oversight for Delaware veterans who haven't been able to benefit from the program. “We have a duty to support those who have volunteered to serve in our armed forces, and no aid is more urgent than helping our veterans at risk of suicide,” he mentioned. The bill aims to provide aid to Delaware, where organizations are ready to expand their services to veterans.

The proposed legislation has gained support from multiple veteran organizations, including the North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs, American Legion Department of North Dakota, Disabled American Veterans Department of North Dakota, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of North Dakota. They express gratitude for Senator Cramer's leadership, acknowledging the unique challenges rural states face in veteran mental healthcare.

The North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs noted, “Thank you, Senator Cramer, for leading this legislation... Highly rural states such as North Dakota face a unique challenge in serving our most vulnerable veterans." The department identified suicide prevention as their most critical and challenging issue, expressing the need for collective effort and resources to address it.

The new bill aims to rectify the distribution of mental health support funds, ensuring that veterans in every state receive the aid they deserve and need.