# VA Zero Suicide Demonstration Project Act of 2023

This bill creates a special program to help the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) test new ways to prevent veteran suicides. The VA would run demonstration projects at selected medical centers to try out different approaches for identifying veterans at risk of suicide and connecting them with mental health support before a crisis happens.

The program focuses on veterans who use VA healthcare services and aims to develop better screening methods, improve how the VA coordinates mental health care, and create stronger connections between veterans and support resources. The demonstration projects would test these strategies at a few VA locations to see what works best before potentially expanding them across the entire VA system. This is important because suicide rates among veterans remain significantly higher than the general population, and the VA is looking for evidence-based solutions that can make a real difference in saving lives.

The bill essentially gives the VA permission and resources to experiment with new suicide prevention strategies in a controlled way. If these demonstration projects show promising results, the successful approaches could eventually be adopted at VA facilities nationwide, potentially helping thousands of veterans get the mental health support they need. The focus is on prevention and early intervention rather than just treating veterans after they're already in crisis.

VA Zero Suicide Demonstration Project Act of 2023

Rosen, Jacky

VA Zero Suicide Demonstration Project Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish the Zero Suicide Initiative pilot program for the purpose of improving safety and suicide care for veterans. The program must be implemented at five VA medical centers, including one that serves veterans in rural and remote areas.