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U-S Senator Gary Peters visited Volunteers of America in Lansing on Tuesday, where he saw firsthand the work VOA is doing to support Michigan’s homeless veterans, and to discuss his work on behalf of veterans and service members.
The Detroit Democrat met with local veterans and talked about a bill he cosponsored to improve mental health care and suicide prevention programs for veterans and bipartisan legislation he introduced to support small businesses that provide differential pay to reservists and National Guard members called up to serve on active duty.
Senator Peters says there are a reported 22 suicides per day among veterans, and the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act helps the Veteran’s Administration “step up our game.”
That new law increases access to mental health care by requiring a third party to evaluate the effectiveness of suicide programs at the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs and make recommendations on improvements. It also creates a peer support and community outreach pilot program to assist transitioning service members; create a new website with information on available mental health care resources; enhance collaboration among suicide prevention programs; extend the ability for certain combat veterans to enroll in the Veterans Health Administration for one year; and create a pilot loan repayment program for VA psychiatrists.
Peters is also helping the VOA reduce the number of homeless veterans, bring equality to military pay when servicemen and women are called up to active duty, and reduce wait times to get VA benefits.
Patrick Patterson, Executive Vice-President for VOA, says homelessness among veterans in the Lansing-area has decreased by 10-percent since he has become involved, but problems persist in economically-stressed areas like Flint and Detroit.
