Suicide among soldiers and veterans has risen to alarming rates.
Over the last two years, more soldiers have fallen to suicides than combat wounds. Congress has finally started asking why the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has not taken a more active role in preventing these tragedies.
Janet Kemp is the VA's national suicide prevention coordinator and will be answering questions from the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. The committee's renewed interest was sparked by a recent 9
th Circuit Court of Appeals in which the Court referred to the VA's actions toward veterans' mental health as "unchecked incompetence."
The Court's ruling echoes recent attitudes toward the VA's mental health system, which has for years been accused of failing veterans. Many veterans use the military doctors and TRICARE for their health care. Compared to the "overwhelmed" VA system, TRICARE's services seem much more proficient.
The Court's ruling on the state of the VA's mental health system focused much of its opinion on the number of veterans who died while waiting for their claims to be heard and/or decided. It did not, however, comment on how many of those veterans took their own lives. Critics of the Court's decision responded by pointing out the large number of programs the VA offers to treat mental health conditions.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.
Category: Veterans' Disability
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Soldiers can return home with a number of conditions, injuries, and aggravated preexisting conditions. If you believe you have a service-connected physical or psychological injury you may be entitled to Veterans’ Disability Compensation.