JEFFERSON CITY, Mo (WGEM) – Missouri has one of the highest veteran suicide rates in the country, according to the U.S. Veterans Department, but a state group is now working to change that.
Every year, Missouri loses nearly 200 veterans to suicide, according to data from the U.S. Veterans Department. A new state investment is working to combat the mental challenges veterans face. The state released its first yearly Veterans Suicide Prevention plan and Mental Health report. It’s part of a law implemented last year that requires the Veterans Commission to shift its focus to mental health.
Last year, previous Gov. Mike Parson signed a new law that hopes to decrease veterans suicides. It adds improving veterans mental health as the fourth core mission of the Missouri Veterans Commission, opening the door for research and treatment. This year, the results of that law are starting to come to light.
Missouri Veterans Commission Executive Director and Retired Colonel Paul Kirchhoff said one focus it draws on is peer support.
“There’s something about talking to someone who has a shared experience that makes it really a lot easier to open up and talk about what you’ve experienced and really what the veterans have gone through,” Kirchhoff said.
The report will be used by lawmakers to craft new legislation and budget requests in 2026. Jefferson City Republican Rep. Dave Griffith is one of the lawmakers pushing for more veterans resources in Missouri. He pushes because he knows, from his own experience, the trials they face after the military.
“We do a very good job of training warriors, we do a very poor job of training civilians,” Griffith said.
Veterans can contact the Missouri Veterans Commission to ask for help or resources online or by phone at 573-751-3779. Veterans can also speak with someone anytime by calling the 988 mental health hotline and choosing option one.
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