MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A newly formed committee met Thursday in Montgomery to discuss ways to close mental health care gaps for military veterans in Alabama.
The committee, led by Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) and Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA), focused on preventing veteran suicides.
“We’re trying to get out in front of this thing so we don’t have that crisis moment, getting people to understand what suicide ideations are and those feelings and be proactive,” said Jason Smith, an Alabama National Guard Resilience and Risk Reduction coordinator and member of the committee, during a presentation.
Alabama’s veteran suicide rate in 2021 was 35.4 per 100,000 people, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. That was slightly higher than the national average (33.9) but significantly higher than the overall suicide rate in Alabama, which is 20.2 per 100,000.
Kimberly Boswell, commissioner of ADMH, outlined the responsibilities of both departments under legislation that established the committee, saying that collaborative efforts are needed to improve mental health care for veterans.
Concerns were raised about the weeks-long wait time for mental health appointments under the 2020 Mission Act and eligibility under the 2023 Compact Act, both federal laws. The Compact Act allows veterans in acute suicidal crises to receive care at any medical facility, VA-affiliated or not, without prior VA approval, while the VA Mission Act expands access to non-VA health care providers.
Committee members said the wait times – due to a lack of providers in the VA network – was insufficient for veterans in crisis, despite investment from the federal government.
“When you’ve got a veteran in a mental health crisis, you can’t wait 20 days. They need help now,” said Jeff Newton, chief of staff for ADVA.
The committee also reviewed state-level initiatives, including the “Safer Together” program, which aims to reduce veteran suicides by promoting the safe storage of firearms.
Smith said that the program, modeled after similar initiatives in other states, encourages veterans to temporarily and voluntarily store their firearms at licensed gun shops when they feel at risk. The program is designed to be voluntary, confidential and temporary, to delay access to firearms during periods of crisis.
Smith noted that the program faces challenges in a state with strong gun rights protections but said that the initiative is about saving lives, not taking away gun rights. Firearms accounted for about 85% of veteran suicides in 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
If you or someone you know is in a crisis, call, text or chat the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. For a list of Crisis Centers in Alabama, visit the Alabama Department of Mental Health’s website. For help with grief and loss, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention offers advice and resources.
“I want to be clear to everybody in here, no matter what side you’re on, this is not a gun grab, this is not a red flag law. If anything, this is here to protect our [Federal Firearms License], our gun stores and our Second Amendment rights, but also, most importantly, our veterans, our military members and first responders,” Smith said.
He said the committee is currently seeking legislative support for a bill to establish the program.
Rep. Ed Oliver, R-Dadeville, also a member of the committee, said after the meeting that although he is a “pro-Second Amendment guy,” he supports the Safer Together initiative. He said the way the program is set up is meant to reduce stigma and there are no consequences for participating.
“I don’t know why you would be against that. First, it’s voluntary, and the government doesn’t know that,” Oliver said.
The committee is set to reconvene in October to continue discussions on potential initiatives.
This article originally appeared in the Alabama Reflector, an independent, nonprofit news outlet. It appears on FOX54.com under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
