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 Trump's order directs the departments of Defense, Homeland Security
and Veterans Affairs to ensure all uniformed service members have
access to mental health treatment and suicide prevention resources
in the first year following military service.
"They get out of the military and they have nobody to talk to,"
Trump said as he signed the order. "It's a very sad situation."
Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin said the White House wants
to address an alarming trend, that of 20 veterans a day taking their
own life.
"That 12-month period after you leave service is the highest risk
for suicide," Shulkin told reporters. Currently, only 40 percent of
military members have mental health coverage, he said.
The new order will cost about $200 million year to implement, money
that will be diverted from the agencies' current budgets, a senior
administration official said.
[to top of second column] |
(Reporting By Steve Holland and Roberta Rampton; Editing by David
Gregorio)
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