On Sept. 21, Gov. Whitmer announced a $1.2 million investment in veteran suicide prevention programs. This grant will improve the health and well-being of the over 550,000 veterans and their families in Michigan. This is the largest contribution to veteran suicide prevetion funds since the early 2000s. From 2016-19, about 704 Michigan Veterans died by suicide.
Many veterans face challenges such as post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and housing and employment difficulties, which can cause chaos and crisis in their lives. This funding will support the holistic efforts by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) for veteran suicide prevention. Through the MVAA’s new program, the Michigan Veteran Connector Initiative, Veteran Connectors can help veterans receive the resources they need to thrive. For more information on how to get veteran support, call MVAA’s hotline at (800) MICH-VET.