[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6257508,"mediaKeyId","3153855-d4972cf3c4564fa63af45facd3b59a5f","parentId",3153855,"title","Senators warn VA workforce cuts and return-to-office directives could undermine mental-health services","audioSeconds",3980,"startMs",1482000,"endMs",5462000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3153855-d4972cf3c4564fa63af45facd3b59a5f&start=1482&end=5462","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3153855-d4972cf3c4564fa63af45facd3b59a5f/thumbnail_1482000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6257508/Senators-warn-VA-workforce-cuts-and-return-to-office-directives-could-undermine-mental-health-services","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6257508-8c9b8cbead5975593f2fa530f3246ae1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771047672&Signature=gbEGgH~6CTm-Ti1TJ6~-~a2HWqEo77L6R8XmSlB09L3ocEgUuvhQtczYpcpP4CiWGJpv0WBtZgtE2Bu4BTt4vkNsRmgAENmpcge7PQ3k4OlS8ul-5tcdYHnM7TIchFEFqFiDE9Gvwg3sJLFxwlkBJ93waMAnfLWPMDxgtMAqghbXNh2julKZDQkM~QdbskTCiY8vUjq3jOoblmeTytzHtEgLbjgg-XqD1oTLA6ovHR2~srmUXoa6hkpNbS7SE-aXlO9m2DETUd89dSOXiOetPWu3FbgdC2qfFQz8s~8whrk~8WRgxU90t1wzuBcjyZqL~vkH8XjDYRVuzX30PqM8vg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs","date","2025-04-29T00:00:00Z","article","Senators on the Veterans' Affairs Committee raised persistent concerns that agency personnel moves and return-to-office policies will harm veterans' access to mental-health care and suicide-prevention services.

Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal criticized recent personnel actions and said they had already harmed services: \"This failure of leadership is at the expense of veterans.\" He cited reports of contract cancellations and the termination of researchers and crisis-line workers and warned that privacy concerns tied to return-to-office mandates could erode veterans' trust in VA care.

Other senators pressed VA witnesses for specifics. Senator Blumenthal and others cited reports of thousands of terminations and the prospect of further cuts, including references in the hearing transcript to an \"83,000\" figure for potential future employee separations. Dr. Thomas O'Toole, the Veterans Health Administration's acting assistant undersecretary for health for clinical services, told the committee he was not involved in some of the central personnel decisions and that direct-care positions — including crisis-line staff — had been designated as exempt from hiring freezes. \"I am happy to report that actually the veteran crisis line staffing numbers have gone up and not down since this last January,\" O'Toole said, adding that the crisis line is \"exempted from any hiring freeze.\"

Several members described operational effects they are seeing or fear. Senator Maggie Hassan and Senator Tammy Duckworth reported that some providers had taken confidential telehealth calls from cars or parking lots because private workspace was unavailable, and raised HIPAA and privacy concerns tied to return-to-office implementation. Senator Duckworth pressed for commitments \"to protecting these mission critical staff from adverse administrative actions.\" O'Toole said VHA leadership seeks to ensure private workspace is provided where required and that processes exist to address facilities that cannot meet privacy needs.

Committee members and witnesses repeatedly linked staffing and morale concerns to recruitment and retention, noting that the VA workforce includes many veterans and that publicized mass firings or the threat of large-scale reductions can deter applicants for hard-to-fill roles such as psychologists and psychiatrists. \"Those challenges in recruitment are deeply and dramatically aggravated when the prospect of firing 83,000 employees is raised,\" Blumenthal said.

What was clear and what was not: VA witnesses reported concrete grant and program metrics for the Fox program and said they support reauthorization and expansion. VA leadership also said crisis-line staff numbers had risen. But the committee identified gaps in the administration's disclosure: O'Toole and other VA witnesses said they had not been asked to perform or had not seen agency-wide analyses quantifying how proposed cuts would affect wait times or veterans' outcomes.

Why it matters: Senators said service disruptions or reduced outreach capacity could particularly harm veterans who are not engaged with VA care — a group committee members said accounts for a substantial share of veteran suicides.

Next steps: Senators asked VA to provide more detailed staffing analyses and to protect confidential telehealth capacity; the committee left the hearing record open for additional documents and follow-up questions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Outreach to Support Veterans’ Mental Health","oneSentenceSummary","Senators on the Veterans' Affairs Committee warned that recent and proposed VA personnel actions — including firings, hiring limitations and return-to-office mandates — risk undermining veterans' mental-health services.","taxTitle","Veterans Affairs: Senate Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",2000,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6257513,"Senate panel and VA back reauthorizing Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox suicide-prevention grants",1035,1225000,2260000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3153855-d4972cf3c4564fa63af45facd3b59a5f&start=1225&end=2260","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3153855-d4972cf3c4564fa63af45facd3b59a5f/thumbnail_1225000.jpg","/articles/6257513/Senate-panel-and-VA-back-reauthorizing-Staff-Sergeant-Parker-Gordon-Fox-suicide-prevention-grants","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6257513-5268c1713444bfa9e144c75abea54382/orig.mp4?Expires=1771047672&Signature=knAyEEZNdcqyIPzfluJm7z~daIvquibr9nEGLAcfG1J3N358RoAXvVssjVAp3Rhf8hwGmV5L~JSCDfh31-AfamtPtQ4LyUTuFcscUynz6ePUSg4FXlSgbXsZzeuE7bZSISz5zOSjDis3uqdrZVonhMDHVWxyKjPG0-zB3at40TnWYl71riJROZccejHfhqQjxM5G9a2IssX3pVune886HPSNrrclfwl8DurCnvV4jLPaLaUb-9v9eUCQClS3ieh4I~Y4lH~EreSHde1L5IV-cfRl~~HYslYATqsYNYRIAdG7jRHv9hU7TdzQueXwM3P91lWZnulmuVgIuy1xphIjAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs heard bipartisan support for reauthorizing the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program and proposals to expand its scope.

Senate Chairman Jerry Moran opened the hearing on veterans' mental health and said the session would focus in part on the Fox grant program and other pending bills. \"We are here to discuss the non clinical suicide prevention services and to hear directly what has worked well and what needs to be altered with the goal of reauthorizing this impactful program,\" he said.

The Department of Veterans Affairs told the committee it supports reauthorization. \"VA strongly supports the reauthorization of this program as it is critical for sustaining and expanding the progress we have made so far,\" testified Dr. Thomas O'Toole, acting assistant undersecretary for health for clinical services, Veterans Health Administration. He said VA stands ready to implement an extension of the authority as soon as possible and asked that amendments not interrupt ongoing operations.

Senators on both sides described the program as an important complement to VA clinical care. \"This program, was a temporary grant program. It is time for its permanent reauthorization,\" said Senator Mark Warner, who joined earlier congressional efforts that led to the program's creation. Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal said the grant has \"been a game changer for so many veterans\" and urged bipartisan reauthorization.

VA officials described early program results and scope. Dr. O'Toole said the Fox program began awards on Sept. 19, 2022. He told the committee that initial VA awards included $52.5 million to 80 community-based organizations across 43 states, the District of Columbia and American Samoa, and that, since launch, VA had awarded $157.5 million to 95 organizations across those states, territories and tribal lands. He reported early outcome measures showing 33% of participants were new to VA services and that 75% of participants who completed services showed improvements in mental-health status, social supports and reductions in suicide risk.

Witnesses representing grantees recommended changes to expand reach and reduce administrative burdens. Jim Lorraine, president and chief executive officer of America's Warrior Partnership, urged a continued emphasis on outreach and recommended a simplified intake process for veterans already screened by grantees. Jilly Cantor of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University told the committee that communities are reaching many veterans not connected to VA health care and urged stronger VA–community coordination.

Why it matters: Committee members emphasized that many veterans who die by suicide have no recent contact with VA services, so community-based outreach and nonclinical supports can identify and connect high-risk veterans to care.

Next steps: The committee is considering several bills that would amend the Fox program's authority and funding, including the HOPE Act, the BRAVE Act, the reauthorization bill tied to Senators Bozeman and Warner, and the Every State Counts for Vets Mental Health Act. VA told the committee it is prepared to work with Congress to reauthorize and expand the program without interrupting existing grants.","Witnesses, veterans and committee members at a Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing urged reauthorization and expansion of the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, and the Department of Veterans Affairs said it supports continuing the program and expanding grantee capacity.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6257500,"Minority Veterans of America urges equity safeguards as Fox program is reauthorized",613,8122000,8735000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3153855-d4972cf3c4564fa63af45facd3b59a5f&start=8122&end=8735","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3153855-d4972cf3c4564fa63af45facd3b59a5f/thumbnail_8122000.jpg","/articles/6257500/Minority-Veterans-of-America-urges-equity-safeguards-as-Fox-program-is-reauthorized","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6257500-1fe86f3fc9b71834977be53f3a6efbb8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771047672&Signature=hqNXnbc7pz550ftfvFTTZR-slEaWILQ~zUwMmQMi-htcQ5wGPXg3fe0LHrUV5I-23DmRdeLaA6XckxwmElEcKEA6PMPhxoNT9VfSSQFqdh3joam99VvEnZYQUtqP6UYGEftPAMHP2ypwek3bveJU-IUTLX4gITdSv288-PS5oBif648lFm-5qGnxPEeWFUVm1P25BxmsOSB2bfd-C3Y3g37YAeLvxGp~fu2q3UsMctrlNvjiYZKIRiX5gyALsdihXBkx9pLDh844NeCc6nrYtm7tXiraiQRraG80yxrGm13LzvqzXkZX7o7HGJaP66CIK7MZHk8vxsL7Qn-fNOe2-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The executive director of Minority Veterans of America urged the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee to center equity in reauthorizing suicide-prevention grants and to restore policies and data practices that identify disparities for historically underserved veterans.

\"When we erase identity, we erase risk,\" Lindsay Church testified. She said her organization serves veterans \"who have been historically excluded and underserved: women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, religious minorities, folks with disabilities, and those living in rural communities.\" Church told the committee that policy changes and the removal of certain directive language at VA have \"deadly consequences\" for marginalized veterans and described a rise in self-harm and suicide attempts among specific groups.

Church said outreach and care must be culturally competent and data must be disaggregated to identify and address disparities. She urged the committee to require equity-focused grant criteria, mandate cultural-competency training for providers, preserve data collection on race, gender and sexual orientation, and fund partnerships with trusted community-based organizations.

Church also reported troubling campus incidents and policy rollbacks: \"Since October of last year, we know of at least 13 veterans who died by suicide on VA property,\" she told the committee, and she cited rescinded VHA directive language that she said had provided protections for transgender and intersex veterans. Minority Veterans of America asked that vulnerable veterans be explicitly counted and served in reauthorization language.

Why it matters: Committee members and witnesses agreed that community-based grants reach many veterans not engaged with VA care; Church and other witnesses argued those efforts will fail unless they are designed and funded to meet the needs of veterans who face stigma and barriers in mainstream systems.

Next steps: Minority Veterans of America recommended that reauthorization include explicit equity requirements, disaggregated data reporting and formal partnerships with community organizations that serve minority veterans.","Minority Veterans of America told the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee that veterans from historically marginalized groups face heightened suicide risk and that program reauthorization must embed equity, culturally competent care, disaggregated data and protection of identity-specific services.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6257504,"Grantees and lawmakers press VA to fix screening, referral and state-coverage problems in Fox program",850,6442000,7292000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3153855-d4972cf3c4564fa63af45facd3b59a5f&start=6442&end=7292","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3153855-d4972cf3c4564fa63af45facd3b59a5f/thumbnail_6442000.jpg","/articles/6257504/Grantees-and-lawmakers-press-VA-to-fix-screening-referral-and-state-coverage-problems-in-Fox-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6257504-6dd7649570ea9ec5744efabee23fb3de/orig.mp4?Expires=1771047672&Signature=jqTexwjEH8xdfEHFlPz9m5ogi9r~zLgu-SP8ndo2oY~n0rta7YDrlJWsRasikOA7L8e6o4J12FD7seWu33VDh06Lfn1O5Jhq117cvmjw63DXYfTAEzqcO4XSVemoAOKQ8~pzZHDhruKSEc5vc-AYjUWr~a1B0RrbAFux20o3rvsiavfN4YySh18DlTn4557pBttBS3cjntr1GX4ADLTr1qOt0Db346UlFmvaw1RU7TCaX7WTT6KB1EgsjACX6K9rt0LTTqeOmYDZlLc2hOQQm4MbXfZ0obqR~i2BcjlsJ6fOrRt8ThsRuVIc79V818flQKrrK9Q5~99ZIrIsiQBKog__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Grantee organizations and witnesses told the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program has produced important outreach results but faces operational obstacles that reduce its effectiveness.

Witnesses asked Congress and VA to make several programmatic fixes. Jim Lorraine of America's Warrior Partnership recommended simplifying intake for veterans already screened by grantees and codifying emergent suicide-care linkages such as 988. \"The pathway from community identification to VA must be more transparent, quicker and less burdensome,\" Lorraine said. He and other grantees also asked for better metrics and more transparent reporting to ensure accountability for taxpayer funds.

Several grantees described the Columbia suicide-screening tool as an implementation barrier. Stephen Crowe, program manager for Oklahoma Veterans United, said that although the Columbia tool is well intentioned, its use can deter participation. He told the committee that grantees had reported veterans refusing or abandoning the intake process because of intrusive questions and that grantees were restricted from tracking veterans deemed ineligible — a practice he said could create survivorship bias in reported outcomes.

Senator Angus King and others raised practical suggestions that drew support from witnesses, such as providing lockboxes or other lethal-means-safety measures and allowing low-cost supports (gym memberships, instruments) that evidence or grantees' experience suggest may help. Grantees noted transportation as a recurring barrier and supported allowing grant funds to cover rides or mileage when public rideshare options do not exist in rural areas.

State coverage and prioritization also surfaced as a concern. Senator Kramer described efforts to add prioritization so states that had not previously received funds could access grants; VA officials said they were open to working with the committee but cautioned against creating administratively separate tiers that would lower uniform quality standards.

Data and accountability issues were a recurring theme. The Institute for Veterans and Military Families said its research shows communities can both reach veterans not enrolled in VA care and help connect those already in VA care to services. Some grantees urged Congress to require verifiable metrics, routine audits and regular reporting. Grantees also recommended that higher funding ceilings be available for proven organizations capable of scaling outreach, contingent on performance data.

Why it matters: Grantees said implementation fixes could substantially increase the program's effectiveness at reaching veterans not engaged with VA care and reduce barriers that cause people to drop out during intake.

Next steps: Grantees and VA officials said they are willing to work with committee staff on legislative language to simplify intake, standardize referral pathways and improve reporting while preserving high quality of services.","Community grantees at the Senate Veterans' Affairs hearing urged the VA and Congress to address implementation problems in the Fox grant program — including screening burdens, variable referral processes with local VA medical centers, transportation barriers, and uneven state coverage — and supported accountability and clearer data sharing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senators warn VA workforce cuts and return-to-office directives could undermine mental-health services

Senate panel and VA back reauthorizing Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox suicide-prevention grants

Minority Veterans of America urges equity safeguards as Fox program is reauthorized

Grantees and lawmakers press VA to fix screening, referral and state-coverage problems in Fox program