Inspector General Report: Insufficient VA services put veterans at increased risk for suicide

Told that he would be put on a waiting list after telling an intake counselor he was suicidal at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Jonathan Schulze wrapped a household extension cord around his neck, tied it to a beam in the basement, and hanged himself 4 days later.

WASHINGTON -- Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are at increased risk of suicide because not all Veterans Affairs health clinics have 24-hour mental care available, an internal review says.

The report released Thursday by the department's inspector general is the first comprehensive look at VA mental health care, particularly suicide prevention.

It found that nearly three years into the VA's broad strategy for mental health care, services were inconsistent throughout the agency's 1,400 clinics.

Read the rest at the LA Times

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