U. S. Senators Jerry Moran of Kansas and Jon Tester, of Montana – Ranking Member and Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee – recently introduced Legislation to make certain culturally competent mental health care for American Indian Veterans is provided at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers Nationwide. Their Legislation, “The American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans Mental Health Act”, would require each VA Medical Center to hire a Minority Veteran Coordinator trained in the delivery of mental health and suicide prevention services, which are culturally appropriate for Native Veterans.
Moran says this Legislation would provide specific mental health outreach for American Indian Veterans, who often live in rural or medically underserved areas, and training for VA staff to better serve veterans in the American Indian Community
