Amata decries mismanagement of VA Crisis Line
Amata seeks to ensure Women Veterans have same access
Washington, D.C. –Tuesday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata and the House Veterans Affairs Committee(HVAC) held a hearing on the effectiveness of the actions the VA has taken to realign and rectify flaws in the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) program. Fixing the VCL is a top priority of the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
The mission of the Veterans Crisis Line is to connect veterans in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring Department of Veterans Affairs responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text. Unfortunately, the program has been plagued with issues, which prompted today's HVAC hearing.
"The Veterans Crisis Line is the first call that many veterans make in their darkest moments. It is probably one of the VA's most important tools in combating suicide. However, its continual mismanagement and its failure to meet the needs of America's veterans is unacceptable," stated Amata.
"The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) have a very successful call line, and I look forward to getting the VCL on par with their standard. The VCL also has room to improve when it comes to tracking gender-specific caller data and accommodating the needs of female veterans. We must make sure that our women veterans including those in American Samoa are able to get the same services through these lifesaving programs," concluded Amata.
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