Veteran suicides in Florida rose again in 2022, the last full year in which figures are available. This is after 2021 also saw a rise in veteran suicides as well. The youngest veterans, those ages 18-34, and oldest Veterans, ages 75 and older, die by suicide at a rate significantly higher than Veterans between the ages of 35-74.
The suicide rate for Florida veterans in 2022 was 38 per 100,000 veterans, more than double the rate of the general population of 14 suicides per 100,000. Fortunately, Osceola County bucked the trend in 2022, which had seven veteran suicides out of a veteran population of 18,335.
The VA has an app for that — I think all of us as veterans have heard the saying, “Failure to plan is planning to fail.” If you believe you may face a mental health crisis in the future, or you have a vulnerable family member, the VA has a number of resources available to help prevent a crisis that ends in suicide. The Safety Plan app helps individuals to create a six-step Safety Plan, before a crisis strikes. The VA highly recommends the plan be created with the help of a mental health professional, and stresses the plan and app are in no way a substitute for professional care. For more information, see https://bit.ly/3WSH1et
PACT Act impacts to cause VA end-of-year budget shortfall VA officials warned Congress last month that increases in benefits claims driven by the PACT Act could leave VA benefits accounts $2.9 billion short this fiscal year, which ends in September 2024. In addition, healthcare accounts could be $12 billion short next year because of higher-than-expected staffing and prescription drug costs. No word yet on how Congress, or the VA, plans to address the shortfalls.
Enter to win an automobile!
On a cheerier note, Hiring Our Heroes (HOH), the veterans employment effort of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation has partnered with Toyota to give a new vehicle to an eligible veteran. This is the second year in a row for the giveaway. Entry is very “no muss, no fuss,” and options to opt out of any non-related additional info from HOH or Toyota are available on the entry form. Enter to win at https://bit. ly/3A6aZCN Please send along any items of interest, veteran-related concerns, and your veteran-related events to osceolavets@gmail.com.
