---
title: "Psych News Alert: APA Urges Senate to Pass Veterans Mental Health Care Bill"
description: APA today joins veterans’ service organizations like the Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans of America, Vietnam Veterans of America, the Wounded W...
image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/capitol%20at%20night_64788349-Jun-24-2025-03-51-14-2958-PM.jpg
---

 6/24/24 11:16 AM

# APA Urges Senate to Pass Veterans Mental Health Care Bill

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert)

Share: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/12/apa-urges-senate-to-pass-veterans.html) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/12/apa-urges-senate-to-pass-veterans.html) [Twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/12/apa-urges-senate-to-pass-veterans.html) [pinterest-p icon ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/12/apa-urges-senate-to-pass-veterans.html) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/12/apa-urges-senate-to-pass-veterans.html)

| ![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/capitol%20at%20night_64788349-Jun-24-2025-03-51-15-2389-PM.jpg?width=133&height=200&name=capitol%20at%20night_64788349-Jun-24-2025-03-51-15-2389-PM.jpg) |  |
| --- | --- |

APA today joins veterans’ service organizations like the Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans of America, Vietnam Veterans of America, the Wounded Warrior Project, and the Disabled American Veterans in urging the U.S. Senate to pass its version of the [Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act](http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c113:5:./temp/~c113Z01uQn::) (S. 2930) before adjourning for the year.

The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a related bill that, among other provisions, encourages increased recruitment of psychiatrists into the Veterans Health Administration through use of a medical school loan repayment program.

APA members can contact their senators by clicking [here](http://www.capwiz.com/psychorg/issues/alert/?alertid=64010766).

Should the Senate adjourn in the next few days without acting on the measure, the bill will have to be reintroduced in January.

“Many of the nation’s veterans face significant mental health conditions, which are the invisible wounds of war,” said APA President Paul Summergrad, M.D. “Far too often they are not receiving expert, timely care. This legislation is a critical step in helping veterans get the care they need, which is our sacred obligation to provide.”

For more in *Psychiatric News* about incentives for psychiatrists in the Veterans Health Administration, see: "[Psychiatrists’ Pay to Rise at Veterans Health Administration](http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.pn.2014.11a12)."

(Image: Shutterstock.com)

[advocacy](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/advocacy), [APA](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/apa), [Veterans Health Administration](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/veterans-health-administration), [U.S. Senate](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/u-s-senate), [suicide](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/suicide), [psychiatry](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/psychiatry), [suicide prevention](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/suicide-prevention), [VSOs](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/vsos), [House of Representatives](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/house-of-representatives)

## Related posts

[![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/obama_clayhunt-Jun-24-2025-03-41-41-2666-PM.jpg?height=200&name=obama_clayhunt-Jun-24-2025-03-41-41-2666-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2015/02/president-obama-signs-key-veterans.html)

[Veterans Health Administration](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/veterans-health-administration), [Paul Summergrad](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/paul-summergrad), [psychiatry](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/psychiatry), [Saul Levin](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/saul-levin), [Barack Obama](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/barack-obama), [veterans mental health care](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/veterans-mental-health-care), [Clay Hunt SAV Act](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/clay-hunt-sav-act)

## [President Obama Signs Key Veterans' Mental HealthLaw](https://alert.psychnews.org/2015/02/president-obama-signs-key-veterans.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 6/24/24 11:16 AM

President Barack Obama today signed into law the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans...

[ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2015/02/president-obama-signs-key-veterans.html)

[![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/USsenate_220750834-Jun-24-2025-03-33-57-5248-PM.jpg?height=200&name=USsenate_220750834-Jun-24-2025-03-33-57-5248-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2015/02/apa-applauds-senate-passage-of-veterans.html)

[APA](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/apa), [Veterans Health Administration](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/veterans-health-administration), [psychiatry](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/psychiatry), [Barack Obama](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/barack-obama), [veterans mental health care](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/veterans-mental-health-care), [Paul Summergrad M.D.](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/paul-summergrad-m-d-), [Clay Hunt SAV Act](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/clay-hunt-sav-act)

## [APA Applauds Senate Passage of Veterans Mental Health Services Bill](https://alert.psychnews.org/2015/02/apa-applauds-senate-passage-of-veterans.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 6/24/24 11:16 AM

The U.S. Senate today passed the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act,...

[ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2015/02/apa-applauds-senate-passage-of-veterans.html)

[![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/obamaamericanlegion-Jun-24-2025-07-33-22-1762-PM.jpg?height=200&name=obamaamericanlegion-Jun-24-2025-07-33-22-1762-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/09/president-obama-speaks-out-on-mental.html)

[suicide](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/suicide), [PTSD](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/ptsd), [President Obama](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/president-obama), [veteran](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/veteran)

## [President Obama Speaks Out On Mental Health Issues of Troops](https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/09/president-obama-speaks-out-on-mental.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 9/1/11 12:00 AM

[ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/09/president-obama-speaks-out-on-mental.html)

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Psychiatric News Alert",
    "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2025-06-24T15:56:31.475Z",
  "datePublished" : "2024-06-24T15:16:15.000Z",
  "headline" : "Psych News Alert: APA Urges Senate to Pass Veterans Mental Health Care Bill",
  "image" : [ "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/capitol%20at%20night_64788349-Jun-24-2025-03-51-14-2958-PM.jpg" ],
  "mainEntityOfPage" : {
    "@id" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/12/apa-urges-senate-to-pass-veterans.html",
    "@type" : "WebPage"
  },
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/PN-Blue-Box.jpg"
    }
  }
}
```