WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Cohen Veterans Network Inc. (CVN) have announced a new partnership to increase veterans’ access to mental health resources to reduce veteran suicides.

The partnership will allow VA and CVN to work together to advance and improve veterans’ mental health and well-being and expand and promote community collaboration to increase veterans’ access to mental health resources.

“VA and CVN have a shared goal to improve veterans’ health and access to mental health services to reduce veteran suicide,” said VA Secretary David J. Shulkin. “With 14 out of the 20 veterans who take their own lives per day not engaging VA care, partnerships such as this help those veterans, as well as their families, receive care where they live.”

As part of the collaboration, VA and CVN will:

– Work together on potential mental health education initiatives, consumer marketing and public health messaging;
– Discuss potential locations for Cohen Clinics in regions believed to have underserved Veterans in need of mental health care services;
– Collaborate to share publicly available, VA-developed educational resources for health care providers, such as military culture training and suicide prevention training with CVN staff and clinic employees.

“This partnership will help us save lives by getting care to Veterans faster and, therefore, preventing suicides,” said Dr. Anthony Hassan, president and CEO of CVN. “We are excited about partnering with VA and advancing the field through innovative clinician training initiatives and public messaging. This partnership adds another layer of depth and quality to our robust network of Cohen Military Family Clinics.”

For more information about VA mental health services, visit www.mentalhealth.va.gov. Information about the Cohen Veterans Network may be found at https://www.cohenveteransnetwork.org.

Veterans in crisis or having thoughts of suicide – and those who know a veteran in crisis – should call the Veterans Crisis Line for confidential support 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. Call 800-273-8255 and press 1, chat online at www.VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or text to 838255.