U.S. Senator John Boozman of Arkansas has emphasized the importance of the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, advocating for its reauthorization during a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing. This program, which Boozman co-authored with Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, is currently set to conclude in 2025. It allocates funds for mental health outreach aimed at reducing veteran suicides.
“This program was created out of a dire need to improve community-based resources to address the veteran suicide crisis,” Boozman stated. He underscored that veterans facing mental health challenges benefit significantly from the support of known and trusted individuals, a necessity which this program satisfies.
Boozman engaged with Dr. Thomas O’Toole, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Health for Clinical Services and Deputy Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs, about the program’s success and the importance of continued funding. O’Toole agreed, noting the program’s critical role in proactively identifying and supporting at-risk veterans, as well as in fostering connections with veterans’ families and communities.
“Grantees are able to effectively engage specific population groups that may be at higher risk for suicide,” O’Toole explained, expressing hopes to expand the reach of the program. Boozman further queried the VA official regarding the program’s successful elements and future outlook.
“These community groups have credibility in the communities where veterans live. These are peers. These are organizations that are engaging veterans’ families,” O’Toole remarked, noting the program’s complementary relationship with existing VA efforts.
Legislation introduced by Boozman and Warner earlier this year proposes to extend the program until September 2028, increase its funding from $174 million to $285 million, and raise the maximum potential award to organizations from $750,000 to $1.25 million. It also urges the VA to collect more comprehensive data on program outcomes to enhance service provision for veterans and mandates annual briefings for VA medical personnel to increase program awareness and coordination with service providers.
Named after Parker Gordon Fox, a late veteran and former sniper instructor at Fort Benning, Georgia, the program honors his memory following his death by suicide at 25 years old.
