WCDO Radio News

Congressman Chris Gibson announced the passage of the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, which requires changes to Department of Defense and VA mental health programs. Congressman Gibson co-sponsored the bill, which increases access to mental health care by creating a peer support and community outreach pilot program to assist transitioning servicemen and women. It also requires an independent 3rd party to conduct annual evaluations of VA mental health and suicide prevention programs, authorizes the VA to collaborate with non-profit organizations to improve suicide prevention efforts, and starts a loan repayment program to help recruit new psychiatric caregivers. The bill is named for Marine Corporal Clay Hunt, who was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder & faced delays in treatment; he took his own life at the age of 28 in 2011.