County Supervisors to consider Veteran Suicide Review team
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors today will consider a motion by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Sheila Kuehl to explore the feasibility of establishing a Los Angeles County Veteran Suicide Review team.
“Across the US, the veteran suicide rate is more than twice the civilian rate. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US standardized suicide rate is 14 per 100,000 individuals compared to 30.1 per 100,000 veterans. In California, the standardized suicide rate is 10.24 per 100,000 individuals. The California veteran standardized suicide rate is 39.1 per 100,000, demonstrating an increased risk for veterans within the state,” the motion said.
In LA County, veterans constitute fewer than 3% of the overall population. However, veterans are nearly four times likelier to die by suicide than non-veterans in LA County.
“The alarming veteran suicide rates that have pervaded California and Los Angeles County highlight the need to better understand the unique risk factors present in our local veteran community,” the motion said.
The proposed motion calls for a report back in 90 days with a feasibility analysis on the creation of an LA County Veteran Suicide Review Team that will include recommendations on the composition of the proposed team, team member selection, which department should house the team, and ways the team can work with the California Department of Public Health’s initiative on suicide prevention.
The meeting will be conducted virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. today To listen to the Board meeting by phone, call 877-873-8017. Access Code: 111111 (English), 222222 (Spanish)
To watch the meeting visit http://bos.lacounty.gov/ Board-Meeting/Live-Broadcast