# Veterans Mental Health Crisis Referral Enhancement Act of 2025

This bill creates a test program to help veterans in mental health crises get faster access to mental health care outside the Veterans Affairs system. Right now, when a veteran is experiencing a mental health emergency, the VA handles the care directly. This bill says the VA should instead refer veterans to private mental health providers that the VA has approved, with the goal of getting them connected to care within one week.

The program will start within six months of the bill passing and will run for three years at locations across the country (at least three different geographic areas). The VA will set up a referral system, create standards for which private mental health providers can participate, hire staff to manage the referrals, and train VA employees on how to use the new system. The idea is that by expanding beyond just VA resources, veterans won't have to wait as long for mental health treatment during a crisis.

To measure whether this works, the VA will report to Congress every year on how many veterans were referred, how long they waited for care, and whether they were satisfied with the treatment they received. After the three-year pilot ends, the VA will submit a final report recommending whether the program should be expanded nationwide or changed in some way. The bill sets aside $3 million per year for three years to fund this pilot program.

Essentially, this is an experiment to see if partnering with private mental health providers can reduce wait times and improve outcomes for veterans in crisis, rather than relying solely on VA facilities that may be overwhelmed or understaffed.

Veterans Mental Health Crisis Referral Enhancement Act of 2025

Buchanan, Vern

Veterans Mental Health Crisis Referral Enhancement Act of 2025This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a three-year pilot program under which Vet Centers and VA medical facilities provide veterans who are experiencing mental health crises with referrals to approved non-VA mental health care providers.The VA must&nbsp;report on the implementation, outcomes, and effectiveness of the pilot program.