State, Federal Government Investing in Missouri Veterans' Mental Health

State, Federal Government Investing in Missouri Veterans’ Mental Health

by

State and federal leaders are steering fresh money and new strategies toward Missouri veterans’ mental health as communities mark Veterans Day.

Ahead of Veterans Day at the University of Missouri, a memorial ceremony featured a wreath placed upon the steps of a monument dedicated to Mizzou Tigers who lost their lives in combat.

Missouri deals with one of the highest veteran suicide rates in the country, according to data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Nearly 200 Missouri veterans die by suicide every year.

The Missouri Veterans Commission’s annual suicide prevention report recommends expanding peer support and outreach in rural communities to pull those numbers down. The 2026 report outlines nine priority recommendations, including a statewide veteran peer support program and rural veteran outreach teams.

Data inside the report shows the VA recorded 147 veteran suicide deaths in Missouri in 2023, the most recent year available. That put Missouri’s estimated rate at 37.5 per 100,000 veterans, compared to a nationwide veteran rate of 35.2 per 100,000.

About 50% of Missouri’s estimated 392,041 veterans are enrolled in VA health care.

Speaking at the Mizzou ceremony, MU Veterans Center Director Nick Lanier said the best way to invest in veterans’ mental health is to broaden mental health resources for everyone.

“If you create an environment whereby seeking and receiving help is not taboo, you’re going to find more people seeking help and more people receiving help,” Lanier said.

Lanier also called for unity during the gathering.

“In polarized times it’s important to remember that service to your country is neither Republican nor Democrat,” Lanier said. “It’s American because that is who we are and what we do.”

Post-traumatic stress disorder affects 7 out of every 100 former service members, and thousands of veterans succumb to suicide on an annual basis after returning from duty.

Lanier shared that getting help was essential to his own path forward after deploying to Iraq.

“My wife and I, before I deployed to Iraq the first time, she said to me, ‘Honey, if you come back a little different, you gotta promise me you’ll get help,’ and I held true to that because she could see me better than I could see myself,” Lanier said.

To help reach veterans outside traditional systems, the VA announced on Sept. 29 that it awarded $2,949,964 in grants to six community organizations providing suicide prevention services in Missouri. The money comes from $112 million awarded to 191 organizations nationwide through the Staff Sgt. Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, with funds becoming available at the start of fiscal year 2027.

Government statistics indicate that 61% of the veterans who passed away by suicide during 2023 had not utilized VA medical services over their final 12 months. The VA said the grants direct funding to community-based organizations to help reach those veterans.

“Community organizations play a vital role in strengthening the support network available to Missouri Veterans,” said Paul F. Hopkins, medical center director of Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital. “These grants provide Veterans with lifesaving support and ensure they have access to the care and resources they deserve right here in our community.” The VA

In 2025, about 17,000 veterans, service members, and family members received services through grant recipients, marking a 31% increase from 2024. Emergency mental health care was provided to 344 vulnerable veterans during 2025 through funding from these grants, according to the VA.

“Missouri does so many things to honor our veterans, especially on Veterans Day,” said Retired Col. Paul Kirchhoff of the Missouri Veterans Commission.

If you or a loved one needs help, call the mental health hotline at 988. For veteran-specific help, select option 1.

Keep reading

Read next