New suicide prevention support connections for veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs has launched a one-year pilot program called Safeguard Veterans, designed to improve how veterans in crisis connect to suicide prevention resources regardless of where they first seek help. Starting in January 2025, the program is testing new coordination strategies across six communities to ensure that veterans reaching out for support find a clear path to care rather than getting shuffled between agencies or handed a list of phone numbers.
Developed by the VA Office of Suicide Prevention, Safeguard Veterans addresses a critical gap in the current system. Many veterans experiencing suicidal thoughts or mental health crises don't walk into a VA medical center as their first step. Instead, they might reach out to an emergency room, community health clinic, nonprofit organization, faith group, homeless shelter, or job center. The problem has been that staff at these locations often lack the tools, training, or connections to coordinate effective follow-up care, leaving veterans to navigate a fragmented system on their own during their most vulnerable moments.
The pilot program is operating in six diverse locations: Fayetteville, North Carolina; Hampton, Virginia; San Antonio, Texas; Saginaw, Michigan; Cheyenne, Wyoming; and Las Vegas, Nevada. These sites were selected to represent different veteran populations, geographic settings, and local challenges, allowing the VA to test approaches in varied real-world environments. Importantly, this program is designed to help any veteran in crisis, regardless of whether they are currently enrolled in VA health care or receiving VA benefits.
Rather than creating new services, Safeguard Veterans focuses on strengthening connections between existing resources. The program equips crisis responders, mental health professionals, hospital staff, residential treatment teams, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and other community partners with enhanced tools, training, and technology to communicate and collaborate more effectively. The goal is to eliminate the delays, confusion, and unnecessary handoffs that currently prevent veterans from accessing timely care when they need it most.
For disabled veterans specifically, this initiative recognizes that mental health crises don't respect organizational boundaries or office hours. Veterans managing service-connected disabilities often face compounding stressors related to pain, mobility limitations, financial strain, and social isolation that can contribute to suicidal ideation. By creating coordinated pathways to care that work across multiple entry points, Safeguard Veterans acknowledges that effective suicide prevention must meet veterans where they are, not where the system wishes they would go.
At the end of the pilot year, the VA will evaluate which coordination strategies proved most effective and use those lessons to guide potential nationwide expansion. Each of the six communities will test different approaches, and the VA will assess how improved coordination affects outcomes for veterans in crisis. The program represents a fundamental shift from simply providing referrals to actively ensuring veterans get connected to appropriate support.
Veterans in any location who are experiencing a crisis or concerned about another veteran should contact the Veterans Crisis Line for immediate, confidential support available around the clock. Reach the crisis line by dialing 988 and pressing 1, chatting online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or texting 838255. No enrollment in VA benefits or health care is required to access this resource. Veterans, family members, and community organizations interested in learning more about the Safeguard Veterans initiative can visit safeguardveterans.net for additional information about the pilot program and its coordination efforts.