In Watertown, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand praises new veteran suicide prevention law

Feb. 18--WATERTOWN -- A newly passed law intended to prevent suicide among military veterans was described by U.S. Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand as a "good first step" in improving their care.

"We just want to make sure that veterans know what the resources are, that it's more accessible and that they can get the treatment they need, and always have the treatment they're eligible for be available," she said Tuesday during a visit to Watertown. "It's a multi-pronged approach."

The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act was signed into law last week by President Obama.

The law requires independent reviews of Pentagon and Veterans Affairs Department suicide-prevention programs and for the government to make information on suicide prevention more easily available to veterans. It also offers financial incentives to psychiatrists and other mental health professionals who agree to work for the VA and assist military members as they transition from active duty to veteran status.

The new law is named for a Texas infantryman and Purple Heart recipient who committed suicide in Houston in 2011 after fighting to get governmental help for his combat-related mental-health issues. The passage of the bill comes as the Veterans Administration says more than 8,000 veterans commit suicide per year, the majority of them under age 50.

"One is too many," Sen. Gillibrand said.

The senator spoke about the bill's passage during an appearance Tuesday morning at the Watertown Vet Center on Court Street.

Ellen E. Dougherty, a Behavioral Health Care Line Manager at the Syracuse VA Medical Center, said she believed the resources made available in the new law would help find new veterans to serve and to improve the services they offer.

Also praising the bill's passage was Rep. Elise M. Stefanik, according to a news release from Sen. Gillibrand.

Though the law comes with positive intentions, some veterans questioned its potential impact. Robert E. Bowen, programs coordinator for the VETS Peer-to-Peer Outreach Center on State Street, said a larger challenge he's heard about from his volunteers and clients is breaking the stigma veterans face in getting support, particularly from people without a military background.

"We're trained to not need help," he said. "It feels even harder to reach out for help."

The center serves about 125 veterans monthly, he said, and he and other volunteers help direct veterans with suicidal thoughts to targeted care on a monthly basis.

Following her remarks, Sen. Gillibrand said she would reintroduce legislation to take military sexual assault cases out of the hands of soldiers' superiors to independent prosecutors.

"We need a blind justice system that is worthy of the sacrifices our veterans make," she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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