Tragic Trends: Suicide Prevention Among Veterans: On Monday, the House Committee on Veterans Affairs held a hearing to discuss how to prevent suicides among veterans. The VFW submitted a statement highlighting the efforts of VFW Posts around the world who have participated in A Day to Change Direction, which trains veterans and their families to identify the five signs of emotional suffering. The VFW also urged Congress and VA to train VA staff to identify and assist veterans in crisis, ensure sufficient resources are available and used for effective VA suicide prevention efforts, exempt those who have worn our nation’s uniform and receive urgent or emergent mental health care under VA’s humanitarian care authority from having to pay the full cost of such care, expand peer support programs, and conduct research on veterans who die by suicide without contact with the VA health care system. Read the VFW’s statement. Watch the hearing.