What Works for Preventing Veteran Suicide Act

This bill, called the What Works for Preventing Veteran Suicide Act, sets clear rules for how the Department of Veterans Affairs runs suicide prevention and mental health grants and pilot programs through the Veterans Health Administration. It requires each program to have clear goals, a plan to collect and analyze data, and a final evaluation to see what worked and what didn’t. Results and best practices must be shared with relevant partners, and the VA must communicate program goals and evaluation plans early and throughout the program, including at least 30 days before it starts.

The VA has 180 days after the law takes effect to issue these rules, and the standards will apply to both new and existing programs.

• Who is affected: Veterans who use VA mental health and suicide prevention programs, VA staff, and partner organizations involved in these programs.
• What changes: Programs must set measurable objectives, follow a data plan, evaluate outcomes at the end, and share lessons learned; the VA must also inform relevant partners during development, at least 30 days before launch, and throughout the program.
• When: The VA must issue the regulations within 180 days, and the standards apply to programs no matter when they were created.