Booker, Menendez Announce $1.5 Million to Support Suicide Prevention for Veterans and Families

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez (both D-NJ) announced $1.5 million in federal funding to develop community-based suicide prevention strategies, connect veterans and their families to resources, and promote outreach to at-risk individuals.

“We must ensure that our veterans are provided the care, support, and resources they need to succeed as they return to civilian life,” said Sen. Booker. “This grant is critical to the mental health and long-term well-being of our veterans. I am committed to ensuring our veterans who have bravely served our nation receive the care they deserve.”

“When they raise their hand to serve our nation, our veterans are pledging their lives to defend and protect our democracy,” said Sen. Menendez. “When they return from active duty, it is our solemn obligation to provide them with the resources they need and deserve, including mental health and suicide prevention services. Partnering with community providers through grants such as this will help ensure that we are reaching thousands of at-risk New Jersey veterans through life-saving counseling.”

Community Hope and Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine were each awarded the maximum amount of $750,000 in grants through the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP), which is administered by the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (OMHSP) within the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

The SSG Fox Suicide Prevention Grants are awarded to county governments and community-based organizations that provide or coordinate suicide prevention services for veterans and their families.