Kirsti Marohn

kmarohn@stcloudtimes.com

Twenty-two a day. Twenty a day.

Even though the national statistics vary, far too many U.S. veterans are dying by suicide.

Preventing those tragedies has taken on a new importance at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, along with improving access to mental health care services for veterans and their families.

At a community mental health summit on Tuesday sponsored by the St. Cloud VA Health Care System, officials outlined how the VA is working to get veterans care they need as promptly as possible. But some advocates complained that too many veterans still face obstacles, from not meeting eligibility requirements to being saddled with medical bills from local hospitals.

The St. Cloud VA provides mental health care in a variety of ways, from residential treatment for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress, substance abuse and other disorders, to outpatient visits. The St. Cloud VA has treated 9,500 individual mental health patients so far this fiscal year and might hit 10,000, said Dr. Sherrie Herendeen, director of mental health.

The St. Cloud VA is one of the best in the nation at providing residential mental health treatment, and is expanding its 148-bed residential unit by 20 beds. The average wait for a non-urgent mental health appointment is 3.6 days, less than the 4.6-day national average.

However, there also are some "missed opportunities," said Atlas Anagnos, the St. Cloud VA's group practice manager, a new position being added at VAs across the country to help improve veterans' access to care. One he cited: St. Cloud has a higher percentage of no-show mental health and substance abuse appointments than the national average.

A new federal initiative called "My VA Access" aims to guarantee that veterans receive same-day access to primary health care by the end of 2016. One of the key aims is to provide immediate care for any veteran who is suicidal or has an urgent mental health need.

Community veteran advocates had tough questions for the VA officials Tuesday, arguing that "any veteran" isn't accurate because not all veterans are eligible for care at the VA. And getting a veteran into mental health treatment at the VA isn't always a smooth process, they said.

"If they're having a mental health crisis or they're having a medical issue, we get them to the nearest local hospital, sometimes by ambulance, sometimes a family member will take them," said Melony Butler, founder of Eagle's Healing Nest, a residential home in Sauk Centre for veterans. "But getting them transitioned and transported to the local VA is very difficult."

VA officials said they have been working to improve access, and any veteran in crisis can get a quick screening and eligibility determination any time of the day or night.

The VA's push to reduce suicides started in 2007, and appears to be having some success. New data from the Department of Veterans Affairs released earlier this month found that roughly 20 veterans a day die by suicide nationwide, fewer than the commonly quoted figure of 22 a day.

That previous number was based on a 2010 study of 3 million veteran records in 20 states, Herendeen said. The latest data is pulled from 55 million veteran records from 1979-2014.

Still, the data show veteran suicide remains a persistent problem. In 2014, more than 7,400 veterans took their own lives, making up 18 percent of all suicides in the United States.

"There's just a lot of attention and focus on this issue," Herendeen said. "We as a VA that no suicide is an OK suicide, so we are shooting for zero. We're not there yet."

The VA has rolled out some new initiatives to combat suicide, including a public awareness campaign called "Be There" that stresses the ability of friends and family, not just professionals, to help troubled veterans.

Mary Jo Pine, the St. Cloud VA's suicide prevention coordinator, noted that anyone can call the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 even if they aren't enrolled in VA health care. If veterans push 1 when prompted, they will never been put on hold, Pine said. They also can send a text to 838255.

The VA also gives away free gun locks for veterans, no questions asked. Fifty percent of suicides involve a gun, and veterans are more likely than the general population to use a firearm in suicide, Pine said.

Pine urges people to know the five signs of a mental health crisis and risk of suicide: not feeling like yourself, feeling agitated, feeling withdrawn, not caring for yourself and feeling hopeless. If you see any of those signs in a family member or loved one, she advises staying with the person, talking to them and offering to get them help.

"You don't have to a be professional," Pine said. "You just need to be there for that person, and just walk through that with them and help them get through."

Follow Kirsti Marohn on Twitter, Facebook or contact her by phone at 320-255-8746.

Problems, delays plague Veterans Choice