Testimonies

Combating Veteran Suicide in New York City

On behalf of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America’s 200,000 member veterans and supporters, thank you for inviting me to speak on one of the most pressing issues facing veterans and their families: the staggeringly high rate of suicide amongst services members and veterans.


My name is Jonathan Schleifer and I am the Policy Director at IAVA. IAVA is the first and largest non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to standing with Iraq and Afghanistan from their first day home through the rest of their lives. We strive to build an empowered generation of veterans who provide sustainable leadership for our country and their communities.



Today’s hearing on suicide could not have come at a more critical time. The Army recently reported 28 potential suicides among active duty service members and non-activated reservists in August, and reported 33 potential suicides amongst the same group in July. These are some of the highest numbers we have seen from the Army since it began releasing suicide data in 2009 – and these numbers reflect the challenge only among our soldiers. The Defense Department recently reported that 295 active duty soldiers, airmen, Marines and sailors committed suicide in 2010. Overall, the Department of Defense tracked 863 suicide attempts. The rate for veterans could be much higher.



Although we have this data about service members, there is a fundamental gap when it comes to understanding veteran suicide. The VA does not regularly release data on the number of veterans that commit suicide and there is almost no information about veteran suicide among the forty-seven percent of veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom who never interact with the VA. We therefore only have blurry snapshots of the problem. For example, the VA estimated that in 2009, 6000 veterans committed suicide. It has also said that on average 950 suicides are attempted each month by veterans who are receiving some type of VA treatment. That's an average 31 veterans attempting suicide per day. These tragic numbers only represent the limited segment of veterans who interact with the VA.



One of the greatest challenges in understanding and preventing veteran suicide is this lack of data about the problem. If we don’t know the scope of the problem, how can we solve it? New York City can take the lead in addressing the problem by tracking the NYC veteran population. You can do this by beginning to inquire about veteran status in city health, social, and other services. At every touch-point identify our veterans. This will go a long way to prevent veteran suicide, but will also allow you to better address all challenges facing veterans, including, unemployment, homelessness, and mental and physical health care.



A critical step to understanding how we can stop veteran and service members suicides is to understand that suicide itself is not the whole issue. Suicide is the tragic conclusion of the failure to address the spectrum of challenges returning veterans face. And, they are not just mental health injuries; they include the challenges in finding employment, reintegrating to family and community life and many others. Fighting suicide isn’t just about preventing the act of suicide; it is providing a “soft and productive landing” for our veterans when they return home.


The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in a high incidence of service members returning with mental health injuries. The RAND Corporation conducted a study of New York veterans and their families and released a report last year entitled “A Needs Assessment of New York State Veterans.” According to this report, sixteen percent of veteran respondents had symptoms consistent with PTSD and sixteen percent had symptoms consistent with major depression.  Fifty-six percent of the veteran respondents either wanted or needed some type of mental health services, but only twenty-four percent sought care in the last year.



The RAND data makes clear that New York’s veterans often choose not to go to the VA for care – many go to civilian health providers instead. This is true across the country. Although comprehensive care at the VA is available to most veterans, only about half of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans choose to access this care. As a result, we must educate civilian mental health care providers about military culture and about the invisible injuries prevalent in the veteran community. New York City can take the lead by aggressively training civilian behavioral health professionals in evidence-based treatment programs. These providers should include college counselors, providers at city hospitals and social service agencies. A cadre of behavioral health professionals that are trained to understand the mental health challenges of veterans and how to treat them will help eliminate the suicide epidemic by giving our newest veterans the support they need.



Another problem is that many veterans face difficulty navigating the complex systems of benefits and services available to them. They do not know how to find the services they need or apply for the benefits they have earned. Even when they are able to find services appropriate for their needs, many veterans report frustration in accessing these services; some veterans report long waiting periods to get an appointment at the VA while others commented that if they want frequent appointments they have to re-tell their stories to a number of different providers. And, RAND’s survey of New York veterans revealed the difficulty in accessing services is not limited to the VA; most respondents could not identify  a state agency or non-profit that provided direct mental health services.



New York City could provide a powerful answer to help veterans navigate the complex system of benefits and services available to them. Recently, IAVA conducted an informal test of New York’s 311 resources for veterans. First, there was not a specific portal for veterans. Second, we tested the suicide prevention hotlines through New York’s 311. Our callers reported times of up to 30 minutes before they were able to reach meaningful care.



There are ways to solve these problems and San Francisco is a good example of the how. San Francisco recently created a revolutionary model: a portion of its 311 service has been designed specifically for veterans. When veterans call 311, they are referred to a service that can direct them to the resources they need. New York has the infrastructure necessary to adopt this model, and by doing so could help more veterans actually reach the care they need. At the same time, New York should dramatically reduce call time in order to be an effective resource for veterans contemplating suicide. By strengthening these resources, NYC can reduce a barrier to veterans seeking treatment and perhaps get our veterans the help they need before they turn to suicide. 


Even with these changes, we know that many veterans may not be seeking care because of the stigma attached to mental health injuries. Our veterans are concerned about how seeking care could impact their careers, including concerns about their ability to get a security clearance and questions about how co-workers and supervisors would perceive them if they received care. In RAND’s study, fourteen percent of the respondents revealed that they believed their friends and families would respect them less if they received treatment for their mental health injuries. It is critical that we work to reduce the stigma. New York can do its part by launching an awareness campaign to combat the stigma of seeking help for combat stress injuries and to promote the use of local, state and federal resources. IAVA has partnered with the Ad Council to launch a public service awareness campaign that is focused on the mental health and invisible injuries facing veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Part of this campaign is to help to reduce the stigma in seeking mental health care. We are happy to share our best practices from this campaign to aid New York in any effort it undertakes.



Tackling Transition: Providing A Stable Environment For a Veterans’ Transition


Providing a more smooth transition from the military to civilian world is crucial in preventing veteran suicide. Ensuring veterans’ access to the mental health care they may need is connected to other issues that can contribute to a veterans’ sense of stability throughout their transition home. We must tackle the other contributing factors – such as unemployment and homelessness – that could put veterans vulnerable to suicide further at risk.



Currently, finding employment is one of the top challenges facing veterans during their transition from military to civilian life. In 2010, the average unemployment rate for OIF/OEF-era veterans was a staggering 11.5%, almost 2 percentage points higher than the national average. This rate is trending even higher through the first nine months of 2011. This leaves veterans wondering where their next pay check is coming from, unable to support their families, and unsure of their long-term career prospects.

Some veterans also struggle to find a permanent home. The VA reported that there were over 13,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans homeless in October 2010. Having a place to call home is a foundation upon which to build your life. Without a home, finding employment, maintaining relationships, and receiving mental health care all become more difficult. The number of homeless veterans is already too high. We need to act now to end veterans’ homelessness. There is no excuse.

Addressing the spectrum of challenges facing veterans during their transition home will go a long way to create a sense of stability for veterans that may be vulnerable to suicide. This is a place you can step up to create a network of support for every veteran as they return home. This robust community of support should be the first line of defense against veteran suicide.

Building A Community of Support


This community of support starts with the families of veterans and service members. These families need to be prepared – and supported themselves – to help smooth the transition of their returning service member. In RAND’s study of New York veterans, thirty-five percent of military spouses reported that they struggled to reintegrate the returning service member into the day-to-day family life. The families also reported that they felt unprepared for the return of their service members; many noted that they did not know what symptoms and behaviors to look for. And, while there are many resources currently available to assist military families, they are often complex and difficult to navigate. We need to place more emphasis on outreach, education and support for military families so that they can, in turn, support their service member.



The responsibility of support does not lie on our military and veteran families alone; preventing veteran suicide and easing the transition from military to civilian life is the responsibility of our greater community. Veterans consistently reported difficulty relating to their civilian peers. In a particularly poignant example, one of RAND’s respondents stated, “When I’m faced with civilians who don’t understand what I’ve been through, it’s really difficult to try [to] get on the same level with them without making [myself] feel pathetic.” His statement tells us two things: (1) we must connect veterans to fellow veterans that have gone through similar experiences, and (2) we should raise awareness across the civilian community about the experience of these veterans and their families and the challenges they face reintegrating into the civilian world.



For our own part, IAVA has been a leader in connecting veterans to their counterparts across the country. One of the signature features of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is that less than one percent of Americans have served in Iraq or Afghanistan. One of our top priorities is to connect veterans in local communities and across the country through traditional events and our exclusive online community, Community of Veterans. And, through the awareness campaign, built in partnership with the Ad Council, we push the message to veterans that they are not alone, there is a community of veterans that understands their experiences and has their backs. 


But, our veterans aren’t just readjusting to their families or connecting with other veterans; they are coming back to their jobs, using their GI Bill to study at our local colleges, and seeking care and services from businesses and providers across this city. We also must focus on extending understanding to the society at large. Teachers and professors should know which of their students are veterans or the children of veterans or service members. Businesses should invest in the leadership of returning veterans and hire them. Health care providers must understand the particular injuries facing these incredible men and women. By promoting awareness, we can ensure that our entire community is able to support our veterans through their transition to civilian life and help stem the tide of veteran suicide.

By more accurately measuring the problem, improving access to mental health care, tackling the transition from military to civilian life, and creating a robust community of support for our veterans, we may be able to significantly reduce the number of veterans that attempt and commit suicide each year. No solution will be a silver bullet for veteran suicide. But, we don’t want to ask ourselves if there was something more we could do, if there was a stone we left unturned.

Thank you.

Jonathan Schleifer is the Policy Director at IAVA's Washington, D.C. office.