From Crisis to Connection: How VMET Brings Everyone Together to Save Veteran Lives

It sounds like a buddy cop drama, but it’s a real program at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS) called the Veterans Mobile Engagement Team (VMET) that meets Veterans where they are during a crisis. 

Harris and Wong receive calls from first responders in the community, such as local police, fire, and emergency management services asking for help to deescalate the situation, improve outcomes for Veterans, and connecting them to VA services, such as mental health services, housing support, and substance use recovery programs. 

But for many Veterans in crisis, there’s a heartbreaking common thread; they are not actively engaging in VA health care and the life-saving resources the VA can offer.

According to VA’s 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, of the approximately 17.6 Veterans who died by suicide each day in 2022, 10.6  Veterans did not access VA health care, versus about 7 per day who were VA patients. This aligns with past findings and emphasizes that Veterans disengaged from VA health services form a high-risk group.

“For a number of reasons, some Veterans don’t come to us. So, the idea behind VMET is for us to take the full resources of the VA to that Veteran in crisis in the community, rather than having the Veteran come to us,” said Harris. 

During a crisis, Harris and Wong’s vast knowledge of Veteran resources and their access to patient information, can turn a potentially tragic outcome into a turning point toward recovery. 

“We want to help Veterans who have never been to the VA the best way we can. So, a lot of it isn’t just continuity of care, but coordination of care,” said Wong. “How would I want to be treated if I were in that situation?”

But their work doesn’t stop once the crisis has passed. Much of VMET’s success is built on prevention, outreach, and trust. 

“We are also spending a lot of time now educating our community partners,” said Harris. “We are going to trainings and meeting with them and their teams. We’ve also started working with Veteran Justice Outreach Specialists because a lot of Veterans we interact with have issues with mental health, homelessness and substance use, so justice involvement is a part of that. Having a good robust relationship with them and all of our partners in the community and VA are critical to help connect Veterans to the services they need.”

The VMET program started in 2018, when VAGLAHS committed to being one of the seven initial sites as a part of the Governor’s and Mayor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families (SMVF). The program was first rolled out to VA Long Beach Healthcare System in 2018, before making its way to greater Los Angeles in 2020. 

“This program was an opportunity to work with VA national experts and people at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and put together a group of experts among different large cities to start engaging in suicide prevention efforts for Veterans,” said Dr. Sharon Birman, Chief of Suicide Prevention at VAGLAHS, who helped implement this program. 

VMET aimed to bridge the gap in communications between law enforcement, the community, and the VA, and form partnerships that could save lives. 

“It was really touching and inspiring to see how everyone just came together and wanted to support Veterans," said Birman. "You have all these non-Veteran-centric agencies, such as local law enforcement, 211, and Didi Hirsch, who treats civilians largely, fully willing to jump in there and say, 'Yes, this issue is important. Our Veteran community is important. How can we serve them better?’”

Call 911 if there is an emergency. If you are a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one, the 24/7 Veterans Crisis Line has caring and qualified responders available to listen and help, free for Veterans and their loved ones. You don’t have to be enrolled in VA benefits to connect with the Veterans Crisis Line. Dial 988, press 1 for Veterans or text 838255 or chat with responders at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Get-Help-Now/Chat