The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) partners with nongovernmental groups, like non-profits or universities, through formal agreements aimed at making veterans aware of available suicide prevention programs and mental health services.
Many veterans struggle with mental health conditions, several of which are risk factors for suicide. VA reported that almost two-thirds of veterans that died by suicide in 2019 did not receive Veterans Health Administration (VHA) services in 2018 or 2019.
A report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) notes that within VA, seven different offices make these agreements, but information about them isn’t tracked centrally.