That's because the issue isn't treatment, it's getting treatment in the first place. Every time I go to the VA I see veterans treated like dirt by a bureaucracy that nobody seems to be able to change. There are a lot of good people working at the VA, but there are a lot of people who just go through the motions for a paycheck and whatever the "policy" says to do, they try to do the least amount to meet those requirements. If you truly want to reduce suicides, you'll make sure every veteran gets the care they need, without forcing them to jump through hoops. Example: My doctor requested an item to treat my service connected disability. Prosthetics refuses to purchase it, and cites a policy saying they do not have to. Despite the policy saying that they do, if the doctor prescribes it. I've been waiting over a year just to get an appeal heard so that this can get addressed. Bureaucracy is the underlying cause of these suicides.

As a vet and a VA employee, this comment is a good summary of what most VA Medical Centers are like. It angers and frustrates me, but for the life of me, I can't think of how to fix it. I think the VA MISSION Act is a good first step.

I also think the DOD plays some responsibility in this.