Ernst and Hassan Encourage Veterans to Participate in VA’s First National Buddy Check Week

WASHINGTON – Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) are encouraging veterans to participate in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ first annual National Buddy Check Week, which started Monday and goes through October 20th. The VA is organizing outreach events to educate veterans on how to conduct peer wellness checks and connect with other servicemembers in their community.

Senators Ernst and Hassan passed the bill into law last year which instituted an annual VA program to support veterans’ mental health, which is modeled after the American Legion’s “Buddy Check National Week of Calling” to connect veterans to other veterans to better ensure that they receive the support they need.

“As a combat veteran, I know the transition from service to civilian life can be filled with mental health challenges,” said Senator Ernst. “I was proud to work alongside Senator Hassan to pass this bipartisan legislation which will provide veterans with the tools to support those closest to them. This week, I urge our veterans to connect or reconnect with their veteran friends – just to check in. It’s a simple measure that goes a long way to support the health and safety of those who have bravely served our nation.”

“Too many veterans struggle with their mental health without the support that they need,” said Senator Hassan. “I want these veterans to know that they are not alone, since their peers are often going through similar challenges. I’m grateful to the American Legion for advocating for this veteran peer support program, and for Senator Joni Ernst’s partnership in getting the VA to establish this program through our bipartisan law. I encourage veterans to sign up to participate in Buddy Check Week as we continue to work together to support the people who have served our country in uniform.”

All of the resources that participants need can be found on VA’s National Buddy Check Week website, including the Buddy Check Week Pledge, a tool to help find buddies, and peer wellness training.

Thanks to the senators’ bill, the VA is working directly with nonprofits serving veterans, mental health experts, and members of the Armed Forces to provide educational opportunities for veterans to learn how to conduct peer wellness checks.

Background:

Addressing veterans’ mental health is a longtime priority for Ernst. She previously worked with Senator Hassan to introduce bipartisan legislation that would help states implement “Green Alert” systems to locate at-risk veterans when they go missing so that they can receive appropriate care, similar to the AMBER Alert system for children or Silver Alert system for older Americans.

Ernst also worked across the aisle on a bipartisan effort to support the mental health needs of servicemembers and veterans as they return to civilian life in their local communities and pushed the Pentagon to take immediate action to step up suicide prevention efforts with the Save Our Servicemembers (S.O.S.) Act.

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