VA proposes mental health benefit plan

Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin announced Tuesday that the VA will send President Donald Trump a plan this week that would give every service member mental health benefits when they leave the military. The plan follows President Trump’s executive order signed in January aimed at improving mental health resources for veterans. “Suicide prevention is the top clinical priority,” said Shulkin. In addition to this new plan, the VA has partnered with AMVETS, a congressionally-chartered veterans service organization, to create a new mental health initiative dubbed HEAL, which stands for health care, evaluation, advocacy, and legislation. “AMVETS is making this investment to place a team of licensed healthcare experts on the front lines where American veterans have direct access to a clinician that can guide them through the maze of the VA healthcare system,” said AMVETS national executive director Joe Chenally. One of the first investments for AMVETS was hiring the...