Trump Signs Executive Order to<br />Aid in Veteran Suicide Prevention The initiative is called the “President’s Roadmap<br />to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy<br />on Suicide (PREVENTS Initiative).” Between 2008 and 2017 more than<br />54,000 veterans committed suicide. A task force led by VA Secretary<br />Robert Wilkie will coordinate efforts<br />across the federal government and<br />provide grants for new programs. Their goal is to create a national plan that<br />will address current issues and increase the<br />overall effectiveness of suicide-prevention outreach. Since Trump’s election, veteran suicide-prevention<br />outreach has declined, with the VA agency only having<br />spent $57,000 of their allotted $6 million budget. The PREVENTS Initiative will also incentivize government departments to share data and<br />bolster suicide research. Veteran Affairs Secretary<br />Peter O’Rourke, via statement.
