House Passes Appropriations Bill, Including Cicilline Request for Full Funding, 24/7 Staffing for Veterans Suicide Hotline

WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (D-RI) today announced that the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs appropriations bill passed in the U.S. House of Representatives includes his request for nearly $70 million in funding to ensure 24 hours a day, 7 days a week staffing for the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL).

“I was proud to lead a bipartisan effort earlier this year to secure full funding for the Veterans Crisis Line, and I am grateful that the U.S. House of Representatives today passed a bill ensuring that trained professionals will be available at all times to serve veterans who are suffering from a mental health crisis,” said Cicilline. “We owe a deep debt to all those who have served our country in uniform. I was outraged by reports earlier this year that calls placed by veterans in an emergency were not answered in a timely fashion – in fact, sometimes they weren’t even answered at all. The funding approved today will help ensure this never happens again.”

The VCL, a suicide crisis hotline established in 2007 to serve veterans and their families, came under scrutiny earlier this year when it was revealed that some veterans were sent to voicemail. According to the Office of Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the VCL received more than 450,000 phone calls in 2014. 76,887 calls were redirected to a backup call center when the VCL was overloaded. During its investigation, the VA Inspector General concluded that callers did not always receive immediate assistance from VCL staff, despite guidelines that calls be answered no more than one-minute after they are placed. The report also raised questions regarding training for backup centers – in one case, staff was unaware that a voicemail system even existed for their call center.

“The Veterans Crisis Line is a critical resource that saves the lives of those who sacrificed so much for our country,” said Dr. Susan MacKenzie, director of the Providence VA Medical Center. “We’re grateful to Congressman Cicilline for his continuing support of our Veterans.”

In a letter sent last March to the House Appropriations Committee, and co-signed by 32 members of both parties, Cicilline requested robust funding to support operations at the VCL 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Cicilline also co-signed an additional letter led by U.S. Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ) to request specific legislative language ensuring that veterans calling the VCL are always able to receive immediate assistance from a trained professional.

According to an August 2010 fact sheet prepared by the Veterans Health Administration, roughly 20 percent of all suicides committed in the United States are veterans. The need for assistance has surged in recent years as veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have returned home. A study published last year in the Annals of Epidemiology found that the suicide rate for recent veterans was 50% higher than the civilian population. The VA estimates that as many as 22 veterans commit suicide each day.

The VCL was launched in July 2007 as a suicide crisis hotline to be used by veterans, their families, and military personnel. The VCL has answered more than 1.86 million calls and assisted in more than 50,000 life-saving rescues since that time. The Inspector General’s report makes clear, however, that more needs to be done to ensure veterans are able to immediately connect with VCL front line staff who are trained to intervene in a suicidal crisis.

During his time in Congress, Cicilline has been a strong advocate for Rhode Island’s more than 73,000 veterans. Last year, he co-sponsored the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, which President Obama signed into law to expand services for veterans in mental health crisis. He has consistently supported funding to provide quality health care for veterans and ensure they have the resources they need when they re-enter civilian life.