Veterans continue to face significant obstacles when seeking mental health care, including geographic isolation, limited awareness of services, provider shortages, outdated IT infrastructure, and stigma. Despite the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) making progress in expanding mental health programs, these systemic challenges still prevent many veterans from receiving timely, effective care.

These gaps are even more severe for veterans living in rural or underserved areas, as well as for those with complex health conditions such as spinal cord injuries or disorders (SCI/D). Veterans with SCI/D who require inpatient treatment for conditions like substance-use disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are often denied access to residential care because of their reliance on caregivers, a barrier that urgently needs to be addressed.

Moreover, survivors of military sexual trauma (MST) and intimate partner violence (IPV) often feel invisible in standard VA outreach efforts. Early suicide prevention initiatives must include their experiences to be truly effective.

The Building Resources and Access for Veterans’ Mental Health Engagement (BRAVE) Act (S. 609) is comprehensive, bipartisan legislation designed to modernize and expand veterans’ mental health access and address key service gaps. Specifically, the bill would:

• Reauthorize and increase funding for the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program to support community-based providers working to prevent veteran suicide.
• Improve VA outreach efforts to ensure veterans, including those in remote areas or underserved populations, are aware of the mental health resources available to them.
• Enhance IT systems at VA Vet Centers, which are crucial access points for mental health services and peer counseling.
• Expand telehealth access, especially for rural veterans, to bring care to where it’s needed most.
• Authorize a pilot program that allows SCI/D veterans to access Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs (RRTP) even if they rely on a caregiver.
• Increase staffing within the VA mental health workforce to reduce wait times and improve care quality.
• Ensure tailored outreach to women veterans, including those affected by MST and IPV, to improve early intervention and suicide prevention efforts.

PVA Position:

Congress should pass the Building Resources and Access for Veterans’ Mental Health Engagement (BRAVE) Act (S. 609). This bill addresses longstanding gaps in care for veterans, especially those with SCI/D, improves Vet Center IT platforms, outreach efforts, and staffing with consideration to women veterans when engaging in critical suicide prevention outreach. The bill also authorizes a pilot program for SCI/D veterans needing access to RRTPs and takes meaningful steps toward preventing suicide and improving mental health outcomes.