24-hour hot line to open up for vets in crisis

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) A 24-hour hot line will open next month to help veterans in mental health crisis.

The Veterans Affairs Department is starting a suicide prevention hot line on August 31st.

Calls will be answered at a V-A Medical Center in New York.

Mental health professionals will be trained on warning signs for suicide. They'll also help veterans get care.

The V-A came under scrutiny in January after a New Prague veteran killed himself.

The veteran's family said Jonathan Schulze twice told St. Cloud V-A Medical Center staff that he was suicidal but was not treated appropriately before his death.

An investigation later showed that the V-A didn't deny Schulze mental health treatment and that he never told V-A officials that he was suicidal.

Information from: St. Cloud Times, http://www.sctimes.com (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 07-03-07 0145CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list