NORFOLK, Va. — Lawmakers are working to improve mental health care for U.S. Navy personnel.
On Tuesday, Virginia Congresswoman Jenn Kiggans (R) introduced the Sailor Standard of Care Act. The goal is to improve mental health care for the men and women in the Navy.
“As a former Navy helicopter pilot and healthcare provider, it infuriates me that the number of sailors who die by suicide continues to rise,” said Congresswoman Kiggans. “Our community here in Hampton Roads has been particularly devastated by these tragedies. It’s clear for anyone to see - we have to better serve those serving our great country. I’m proud to lead the bipartisan effort to provide our service members with the mental healthcare they need and reverse this troubling rise in suicides. I will not rest until the Navy is equipped to provide the resources and quality of life each and every sailor deserves.”
The act would require mandatory health care billets for units that have more than 15 limited-duty sailors assigned. Provider types include medical officers, chaplains, and civilian mental health professionals.
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It would also require all sailors assigned to limited duty to receive an initial mental health screening by a certified mental healthcare provider.
According to the bill, the Navy would be to study recent cases, like those at the USS George Washington and MARMC, in which multiple suicides occurred within 30 days of each other at the same unit/command and establish a standard operating procedure for responding to multiple suicides.
Click or tap here to read the full bill text or here to read the one-pager.
News 3 has reported on a number of locally-based sailor suicides in the past year. The most recent happened just last month, involving a Sailor assigned to the USS Stennis.
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