Obama ordering VA to add staff, see suicidal vets within 24 hours
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama signed an executive order Friday directing the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand mental health services and suicide prevention efforts.
The president made the announcement in a speech to troops at Fort Bliss, Texas, where he was scheduled to hold a roundtable with soldiers and their families.
Much of what’s outlined in the executive order are initiatives that were previously announced earlier this summer by the VA.
Obama is instructing the VA to ensure that any veteran with suicidal thoughts is seen by a mental health professional within 24 hours — a standard already set for the VA, but which the department often fails to meet.
http://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/obama-ordering-va-to-add-staff-see-suicidal-vets-within-24-hours-1.187550#.UEEGe__a3og.facebook
= new reply since forum marked as read
