Veterans Crisis Line Study Act of 2017

Sponsor: Jim Banks (R-IN)

(Sec. 2) This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) conduct a study on the outcomes and the efficacy of the toll-free Veterans Crisis Line during the five-year period beginning January 1, 2014, based on an analysis of national suicide data and data collected from the line, and (2) submit such study to Congress by May 31, 2019. Such study shall address: (1) the efficacy of the line in leading veterans to sustained mental health regimens and suicide prevention; (2) the line's visibility; (3) the role of the line as part of the VA's mental health care services; (4) whether receiving sustained mental health care affects suicidality and whether veterans previously receiving VA mental health care use the line in times of crisis; (5) the line's effectiveness in assisting veterans at risk for suicide when it is contacted by a non-veteran; (6) the line's overall efficacy in preventing suicides and whether the number of contacts affects such efficacy; (7) the line's long-term efficacy in preventing repeated suicide attempts and whether such efficacy is temporary; (8) whether referral to mental health care affects the risk of suicide; and (9) the line's efficacy in promoting continued mental health care for those veterans who are at high risk for suicide whose suicide was prevented.

Armed Forces and National Security Topic assigned by the Congressional Research Service.