NEW YORK- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded more than $4.3 million in grants to nine community organizations in New York to support suicide prevention services for veterans.
The funding is part of $112 million awarded to 191 organizations nationwide through the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program. The grants became available at the start of the Federal fiscal year 2027, on October 1, 2026.
The program provides funding to community-based organizations working to prevent veteran suicide and expand access to support services. Eligible recipients include nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, federally recognized tribes and other community organizations with demonstrated experience serving veterans.
The grants are intended to help reach veterans who may not be connected to the VA healthcare system but could benefit from mental health support and other community resources.
According to the VA, 61 percent of veterans who died by suicide in 2023, the most recent year for which data is available, had not received VA healthcare during the final year of their lives. The finding highlights the importance of partnerships with community organizations that can connect veterans with services outside the traditional VA healthcare system.
Suicide prevention is the VA’s top clinical priority. All VA healthcare facilities offer veterans access to same-day emergency mental healthcare when needed. Through the Fox grant program, the department aims to extend that support by helping local organizations identify veterans at risk, provide assistance and connect them with appropriate care.
“Community organizations play a vital role in strengthening the support network available to New York Veterans,” said Dawn Schaal, medical center director. “These grants provide Veterans with lifesaving support and ensure they have access to the care and resources they deserve right here in our community.”
The funding represents part of a nationwide effort to strengthen community-based suicide prevention services and address gaps in access to mental healthcare for veterans.
By directing resources to organizations already working within their communities, the VA hopes to help more veterans receive timely support, strengthen local networks of care, and prevent suicide among those who have served in the military.
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