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Veterans Crisis Line

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The Veterans Crisis Line is a United States–based crisis hotline for military veterans, service members, their families, and caregivers. The service is available 24/7 via the toll-free hotline number 988. Callers press 1 on their keypad to connect to the Veterans Crisis Line instead of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which shares the same number. It can also be reached by texting the SMS number 838255 or via online chat on the hotline's website.[1][2][3][4]

Veterans Crisis Line
Formation2007
PurposeUnited States military veteran suicide prevention
Region
Nationwide
Websitehttps://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
Formerly called
National Veterans Suicide Prevention Hotline (2007–2011)

History

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The Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) was established in 2007 as the National Veterans Suicide Prevention Hotline following the passage of the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act. It was renamed in 2011 to its current name.[5][6] It is also referred to as the Military Crisis Line or the Veterans/Military Crisis Line in some documentation and resources.[7][8][9] It is administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.[10][11] As of January 2024, the VCL has taken over 7.6 million calls, 360,000 texts, and 910,000 online chats since its establishment.[1]

After the Fall of Kabul in 2021, the VCL reported a significant increase in calls that numbered in the thousands.[12] After the rollout of the shorter 988 phone number, an overall increase of calls to the VCL was reported.[13]

In 2023, the VCL received criticism in a report from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The report detailed the case of an unidentified veteran with a previous history of PTSD and other mental health concerns that died by suicide after a call with the VCL due to improper risk assessment. It also detailed the hotline's lack of protocols for saving text messages for potential future follow-up support. Department of Veterans Affairs officials stated that staff would be retrained and process and procedure changes would occur as a result of this. VA additionally announced a full investigation into the VCL's operations and stated that it would cooperate with a Government Accountability Office investigation.[14][15][16][17]

A 2024 VA OIG report detailed several issues with VCL staffing. These issues specifically included a lack of supervisors, concerns of staff training, and the absence of emotional support for frontline hotline workers.[18]

 
An image created by VA to spread awareness of the Veterans Crisis Line.

Impact on callers

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In a 2021 study, a majority of veterans interviewed after their usage of the hotline reported that they felt it was helpful and kept them safe.[19] Internal VA statistics from 2022 showed that veterans who contacted the VCL were 10 times more likely to have contact with VA mental healthcare after calling than before their call.[20] A 2023 study concluded that veteran callers who are linked to their VA healthcare records may have increased contact with VA mental healthcare after their calls with the VCL.[21] A 2024 study that examined the Caring Letters program of the VCL found mixed results. Suicide attempts were not reduced, but contact with VA mental healthcare increased. The Caring Letters program sent supportive letters to VCL callers for a year after their contact with VCL.[22][23]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "About Us – Veterans Crisis Line". www.veteranscrisisline.net. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  2. ^ Whitten, Cheryl. "What Is the Veterans Crisis Line?". WebMD. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  3. ^ III, Leo Shane (2022-07-19). "New 988 suicide prevention hotline gives vets, troops an easier option for emergency care". Military Times. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  4. ^ "Suicide Prevention Hotline – Military Crisis Line". www.veteranscrisisline.net. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
  5. ^ "Veterans Crisis Line". MHA Screening. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  6. ^ "Public Law 110 - 110 - Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act". www.govinfo.gov. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  7. ^ "Service Members and Military Families in Crisis". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  8. ^ "Suicide Prevention Hotline – Military Crisis Line". www.veteranscrisisline.net. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  9. ^ "About the Military Crisis Line (988 + 1)". Military OneSource. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  10. ^ "What is 988? – Veterans Crisis Line". www.veteranscrisisline.net. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  11. ^ "Veterans Crisis Line". www.samhsa.gov. 17 September 2021. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  12. ^ "A Spike in Calls to the Veteran Crisis Line Could Signal Trouble for Biden". Time. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
  13. ^ III, Leo Shane (2023-01-06). "Calls to veterans suicide hotline spiked over New Year's holiday". Military Times. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  14. ^ "A Patient's Suicide Following Veterans Crisis Line Mismanagement and Deficient Follow-Up Actions by the Veterans Crisis Line and Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital in San Antonio, Texas" (PDF). U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — Office of the Inspector General. September 14, 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 9, 2023. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  15. ^ "VA hotline staff retrained after suicide of veteran who texted them for help". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  16. ^ "Suicide hotline botched veteran's cry for help. An investigation found critical breakdowns". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  17. ^ III, Leo Shane (2023-11-16). "VA pledges investigation into crisis line after whistleblower concerns". Military Times. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
  18. ^ "Veterans Crisis Line Implementation of 988 Press 1 — Preparation and Leaders' Response" (PDF). U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — Office of the Inspector General. August 22, 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  19. ^ Johnson, Lora L.; Muehler, Tanner; Stacy, Meaghan A. (April 2021). "Veterans' satisfaction and perspectives on helpfulness of the Veterans Crisis Line". Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. 51 (2): 263–273. doi:10.1111/sltb.12702. ISSN 0363-0234. PMID 33876480. S2CID 233309729.
  20. ^ "An Evaluation of the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL): Immediate Outcomes, Healthcare Utilizatio..." www.hsrd.research.va.gov. 2022-04-06. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  21. ^ Britton, Peter C.; Karras, Elizabeth; Stecker, Tracy; Klein, John; Crasta, Dev; Brenner, Lisa A.; Pigeon, Wilfred R. (May 2023). "Veterans Crisis Line Call Outcomes: Treatment Contact and Utilization". American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 64 (5): 658–665. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2023.01.024. ISSN 1873-2607. PMID 36805255. S2CID 257009268.
  22. ^ "Caring letters show mixed results for veterans in crisis". UW Medicine | Newsroom. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  23. ^ Reger, Mark A.; Legler, Aaron; Lauver, MaryGrace; Tenso, Kertu; Manchester, Caitlin; Griffin, Cameron; Strombotne, Kiersten L.; Landes, Sara J.; Porter, Shelan; Bourgeois, Jolie E.; Garrido, Melissa M. (2024-04-29). "Caring Letters Sent by a Clinician or Peer to At-Risk Veterans: A Randomized Clinical Trial". JAMA Network Open. 7 (4): e248064. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.8064. ISSN 2574-3805. PMC 11059042. PMID 38683611.
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