An average of 18 veterans died by suicide each day in 2018. As a result, suicide prevention is the top clinical priority for the Department of Veterans Affairs for FY 2018–24. Local VA medical facilities use suicide prevention teams to evaluate at-risk veterans and connect them to treatment. But VA doesn’t have a good idea of how the program’s growth is affecting its staff and caseloads. Some staff reported burnout, high turnover, large caseloads, and insufficient guidance for new initiatives. We recommended, among other things, that VA evaluate its local suicide prevention teams, including the effects of program growth on staff.
Full Report: https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-21-326.pdf
