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Francesco Sgura \/\/ Shutterstock<\/p>\n
The Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded nearly $1.9 million in suicide prevention grants to three community organizations in Pennsylvania as part of a nationwide effort to expand mental health support and lifesaving services for veterans.<\/p>\n
The funding is part of a larger $112 million investment awarded to 191 organizations across the country through the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program. The grants will become available at the start of fiscal year 2027 and are designed to help community-based organizations connect veterans with suicide prevention services and mental health resources.<\/p>\n
Suicide prevention remains the VA’s top clinical priority. While VA healthcare facilities provide same-day emergency mental health care access for veterans in crisis, officials say reaching veterans who are not connected to the VA healthcare system continues to be a challenge.<\/p>\n
According to the VA, 61% of veterans who died by suicide in 2023 were not receiving VA healthcare services during the year before their death.<\/p>\n
Officials say grants awarded through the program help bridge that gap by directing resources to local organizations already working in communities with veterans and their families.<\/p>\n
“Community organizations play a vital role in strengthening the support network available to Pennsylvania Veterans,” said John A. Gennaro, Director of the Erie VA Medical Center. “These grants provide Veterans with lifesaving support and ensure they have access to the care and resources they deserve right here in our community.”<\/p>\n
The VA said the Fox grant program has significantly expanded its reach in recent years. In 2025, approximately 17,000 veterans, service members, and family members received services through organizations participating in the program, a 31% increase over the previous year.<\/p>\n
The agency also reported that 344 at-risk veterans were connected to emergency mental health care through Fox-funded organizations in 2025. Additionally, more than 2,600 veterans who had not previously used Veterans Health Administration services were connected with VA programs and resources.<\/p>\n
Beyond the grant program, the VA continues several nationwide suicide prevention initiatives. During fiscal year 2026 through Sept. 20, the Veterans Crisis Line answered more than 1.3 million calls, chats, and texts from veterans seeking support, a 7.1% increase from the previous year. The service maintained a veteran satisfaction rate of 97.3%.<\/p>\n
The VA also reported completing more than 5.5 million suicide risk screenings through its RISK ID screening program through August 2026 and continues to expand suicide prevention training for healthcare professionals both within the VA system and in communities nationwide.<\/p>\n
Since 2023, nearly 50,000 veterans have utilized the VA’s emergency suicide prevention care benefit, which provides eligible veterans and certain former service members experiencing an acute suicidal crisis with access to emergency care through both VA and non-VA facilities.<\/p>\n