Trump plan to stem vet suicides focuses on public awareness

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is unveiling a long-awaited national plan Wednesday to stem a persistently high number of veteran suicides, with wide-ranging initiatives from firearm safety and wellness programs at workplaces to added barriers near railroads and bridges.

The $53 million, two-year effort will include a public messaging campaign starting in the coming weeks to raise awareness about suicide at a time of increased social distancing and isolation during a pandemic.

The broad road map also urges outreach by awarding grants to community programs outside the Department of Veterans Affairs, building in part off Trump’s expansion of the private-sector Veterans Choice health program.

Still, it remained unclear how much of the plan could result in immediate concrete action, especially in a presidential election year. Much of the effort will need congressional action as well as cooperation from governors and local groups juggling priorities of public safety and health in a pandemic.

“This is a national call to action," according to the 66-page plan by a Cabinet-level task force established by Trump last year, which was initially set for release in March. “We seek to reach every corner of our nation, leaving no one behind.”

Trump was holding a White House event with Vice President Mike Pence to announce the plan.

Currently, about 20 veterans die by suicide each day, about 1.5 times higher than those who haven’t served in the military. The government says about 14 of those 20 were not under VA care, pointing to a need for improved outreach. White House officials on Wednesday also expressed concern about an even greater risk of suicide due to economic strain and isolation stemming from social-distancing restrictions.

The centerpiece of immediate...