A new report from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General (VAOIG) details delays in implementing necessary reforms to improve the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL)

In a letter to Secretary Shulkin, Klobuchar asked the VA to immediately implement a directive to improve governance and oversight of the crisis line

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar urged the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to take immediate action to improve the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL). A new report from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General (VAOIG) details delays in implementing necessary reforms to improve the VCL. In a letter to Secretary Shulkin, Klobuchar asked the VA to immediately implement a directive to improve governance and oversight of the crisis line.

“We write to express our concern over continued delays in implementing much needed reforms to the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL),” the senators wrote. “With data from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) indicating there are 20 veteran suicides a day, any delay is unacceptable and must be addressed. Without clear guidance on how the VCL should run, it is impossible to expect that staff who are faced with some of the most challenging calls in their field would be able to run the VCL at its highest level. We ask for your immediate attention to this matter.”

The letter was also signed by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Johnny Isakson (R-GA).

Klobuchar has been a leader in the fight to improve mental health care for our nation’s soldiers. In November, legislation that she and Senator John Thune (R-SD) led to improve the VCL was signed into law by the President. The bipartisan No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act requires the VA to develop a quality assurance plan to identify performance metrics and objectives to improve the effectiveness of the VCL. It also requires the VA to develop a plan to ensure that each call to the VCL is answered by a qualified person in a timely fashion. The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, which Klobuchar cosponsored, was also signed into law in 2015. The law helps expand access to mental health services for veterans by establishing a loan repayment program to help the VA recruit more psychiatric specialists, enhances resources for veterans transitioning into civilian life, and improves the VA’s ability to address traumatic brain injuries. She also introduced the Service Member Mental Health Review Act in 2013 to help veterans who may have been discharged with improper mental health diagnoses get their records corrected and their benefits restored.

Last year, Klobuchar’s bipartisan legislation with Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) to establish a patient self-scheduling appointment system at VA Medical Facilities was signed into law. The Faster Care for Veterans Act directs the Secretary of the VA to commence a pilot program under which veterans could use the internet to schedule and confirm appointments for health care at VA medical facilities. The bipartisan CHIP In for Vets Act, which Klobuchar and Representative Tim Walz backed, was also signed into law. The legislation will allow local communities to assist with the planning and construction of VA health care facilities.

The full text of the letter is below:

Dear Secretary Shulkin:

We write to express our concern over continued delays in implementing much needed reforms to the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL). With data from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) indicating there are 20 veteran suicides a day, any delay is unacceptable and must be addressed. We ask that you immediately implement a directive specific to the functioning of the VCL and implement related improvements to governance and oversight of VCL operations.

For over a year now, the VA Office of the Inspector General (VAOIG) has cited the absence of a VCL directive as a factor in gaps in quality assurance at the VCL. VA concurred with that recommendation, with a targeted completion date of June 2016, and yet has still not provided a directive expressly for the VCL. Over the past year, VA has taken important steps to improve the functioning of the VCL, including opening a second call center. However, the most recent statement by the VAOIG at a House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing on April 4, 2017, indicates that there remain outstanding issues that are fundamental to the functioning of the VCL, such as the determination of whether an issue is handled by clinical or administrative staff. Without clear guidance on how the VCL should run, it is impossible to expect that staff who are faced with some of the most challenging calls in their field would be able to run the VCL at its highest level. We ask for your immediate attention to this matter.

Additionally, we understand that the VCL is presently managed by an acting director. We call on you to ensure that both VCL call centers have permanent leadership on-site as soon as possible, particularly considering the potential increase in demand for VCL services by veterans with other than honorable discharges following your recent statements. Having a strong directive in place is also vital for improving the VCL as Congress has required. As you are aware, last year, P.L. 114-247, the No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act, was passed to require the Secretary of VA to develop a quality assurance document to ensure VA is meeting measurable quality performance goals. That plan is due to Congress next month. We fully expect the timely delivery of that report, but in order for the VCL to be able to make quality improvements, a directive must be in place to ensure proper procedures are being followed to meet quality goals.

Please immediately inform us of the date that we can expect that the directive will be completed. We look forward to continuing to work with you to end veteran suicide.

Sincerely,

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