22 Per Day - Campaign led by Iraq Vet Senator John Walsh

Senator John Walsh, Iraq Vet was just on Rachel's show discussing this effort. They will present this effort tomorrow during a national day of action.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-rieckhoff/22-per-day_b_5038445.html

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The campaign came from extensive research. Every year, we survey our membership about the most pressing issues facing the community. This year, mental health was their top concern. And 47% told us they knew an Iraq or Afghanistan veteran who attempted suicide. This made it clear that combating suicide was our latest call to action.

So we created a set of guiding principles. We call it AC5. The A is Access (vets need access to quality care whenever they seek it). And the Cs are: Capacity (services must be able to meet demand), Care (vets deserve evidenced-based, high quality programs), Crisis (vets in crisis deserve proactive, effective support programs), Continuity: (no vet should fall in the cracks between programs and services), and Community (the public must be involved in encouraging vets to seek care).

With these in mind, we're calling on the president to sign a veteran suicide-focused Executive Order. It should announce a Call to Service to mental health providers, name a National Director of Suicide Prevention, and review and upgrade wrongful discharges for vets erroneously discharged (and now ineligible for services and benefits). In our meeting with the White House this week we told them that as well.

And we're calling on Congress to quickly support and pass the historic and comprehensive Suicide Prevention for America's Veterans (SAV) Act. IAVA will be standing with Senator John Walsh (D-MT), one of two combat veterans in the Senate, Thursday morning as he announces historic, comprehensive legislation at our National Day of Action.