Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Russell Senate Office Building, SR-418
Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will hold a committee hearing on March 20 entitled “VA Mental Health Care: Ensuring Timely Access to High-Quality Care.”
In February, the Department of Veterans Affairs released a comprehensive report on veterans who die by suicide. The report indicates that the percentage of veterans who die by suicide has decreased slightly since 1999, while the estimated total number of Veterans who have died by suicide has increased.
Witness List:
PANEL I
Jacob Wood, President and Co-Founder, Team Rubicon
Andre Wing, Team Leader, Vermont Veterans Outreach Program
Kim Ruocco, Director, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors
Kenny Allred, LTC, USA (Ret.), Chair, Veterans and Military council Chair, National Alliance on Mental Illness
Barbara Van Dahlen, PhD, Founder and President, Give an Hour
PANEL II
Robert Petzel, MD, Under Secretary for Health, Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs
Accompanied By:
Janet Kemp, RN, PhD, Director of Suicide Prevention and Community Engagement National Mental Health Program, Office of Patient Care Services
Sonja Batten, PhD, Deputy Chief Consultant, Specialty Mental Health Program, Office of Patient Care Services
William Busby, PhD, Acting Director, Readjustment Counseling Service and Regional Manager for Northwest Region
COL Rebecca Porter, Chief, Behavioral Health Division, Office of the Surgeon General, United States Army
Table of Contents
- Kim Ruocco, Director, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors
- Kenny Allred, Lt. Col., USA (Ret.), Chair, Veterans and Military Council, National Alliance on Mental Illness
- Andre Wing, Team Leader, Vermont Veterans Outreach Program
- Jacob Wood, President and Co-Founder, Team Rubicon
- Barbara Van Dahlen, PhD, Founder and President, Give an Hour
