The Department of Veterans Affairs is encouraging veterans to reach out to 10 of their veteran friends next week as part of the first National Buddy Check Week, an initiative aimed at improving former service members' mental health by having them connect or reconnect with one another.
"No one can replace the bonds between veterans who served together," Deputy VA Secretary Tanya Bradsher said in a statement Friday. "Through National Buddy Check Week, we're encouraging all veterans to reach out to their buddies, even if they haven't talked for a while. And if a veteran needs help, please refer them to VA. Don't let a buddy miss out on the resources they've earned."
Buddy Check Week will officially start Monday and run through Oct. 20. The VA is also encouraging veterans' family members, caregivers and survivors to participate in the program.
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Veterans and others can take a pledge to talk to 10 veteran friends or family members on the VA's website.
National Buddy Check Week was mandated in a broader bill related to veterans' mental health care that was signed into law in December.
The initiative is modeled off a program the American Legion started in 2019 in which volunteers from the organization call veterans for wellness checks and to see how they can help. The Legion says it has reached at least 1 million people through its Buddy Check program.
Efforts to expand the American Legion program to a national initiative gained steam during the COVID-19 pandemic amid fears that lockdowns would leave veterans isolated and exacerbate mental health concerns.
In addition to requiring the VA to designate a National Buddy Check Week, the law enacted last year requires the department to engage in outreach campaigns and host public events related to the week, as well as provide training for veterans to learn how to conduct peer support. It is also increasing staffing at the Veterans Crisis Line to handle any influx of calls that might happen during the week.
The VA has posted a training video for those interested in participating, as well as a tool to help people find others with whom they served. The department is also hosting a kickoff webinar Monday afternoon with the American Legion.
At a Senate hearing last month on veterans' mental health care, VA officials suggested they were aiming to release the department's annual suicide report, typically published in September to coincide with Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, at the start of National Buddy Check Week as a "call to action."
The department has been working closely with veterans service organizations on the initiative and has focused on ensuring veterans have the training they need to provide peer support, Matthew Miller, executive director for suicide prevention at the Veterans Health Administration, testified during the Senate hearing.
"One of the biggest concerns we have with implementation is making sure veterans feel equipped to engage in it constructively and helpfully," he said. "We've completed training therefore for Buddy Check Week and will be rolling that out."
If you are a service member or veteran who needs help, it is available 24/7 at the Veterans and Military Crisis Line, call, 988 Press 1, text 988 or use the online chat function at www.veteranscrisisline.net.
-- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on X @reporterkheel.
