VA publishes Interim Final Rule for new veteran suicide prevention grant program

Key Takeaways

On March 10, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released the Interim Final Rule (IFR) on the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP). The SSG Fox SPGP was authorized as part of the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019. The IFR provides stakeholders, including counties, with information on grant eligibility requirements and program regulations.

SSG Fox SPGP provides $174 million to county governments and other qualifying entities over the course of three years to develop suicide prevention strategies, promote outreach to at-risk individuals and connect veterans and their families to resources. County governments and community-based organizations can apply to receive up to $750,000 in funding, with the opportunity for renewal each fiscal year, to assist in the coordination and provision of suicide prevention services for veterans and their families.

The IFR will go into effect on April 11, 2022, and counties can submit feedback until May 9, 2022. Comments on the IFR can be submitted here. The VA expects to provide a Notice of Funding Opportunity and additional information on how to apply in April 2022. Application instructions will be posted here. Rural counties and those with limited mental health services, counties with a large percentage of minority and female Veterans and counties with a high volume of calls to the Veterans Crisis Line are strongly encouraged to apply and may be prioritized.

Counties are key partners in the effort to prevent veteran suicide. NACo will continue to work with our federal partners to ensure county governments and veterans receive the resources, funding and support needed and will monitor additional federal funding opportunities to prevent veteran suicide.

Additional Resources

• NACo Blog: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs seeks feedback on new community-based suicide prevention program
• NACo Policy Brief: Authorize Resources for County Veteran Service Officers (CVSOs)
• NACo Webinar: Veteran Suicide Prevention: Strategies for County Leaders
• NACo Blog: House introduces bill that would increase resources for veteran and military caregivers