VA chief applauds suicide hotline film’s Oscar win

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald on Monday praised an Academy Award-winning HBO documentary that focused on the agency’s efforts to stop veterans from committing suicide. 

“Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1” detailed the daily lives of employees who work at the VA’s suicide hotline in Canandaigua, New York. It won an Oscar on Sunday night for best documentary short subject.

“We are pleased that this film has highlighted the challenges our Veterans can face and the work of our dedicated Veterans Crisis Line staff to save lives and get veterans into care,” McDonald said in a statement.

“We are hopeful that this documentary will help raise awareness of this important issue with the American public. Our veterans in crisis need to know that there is hope and asking for help makes them stronger,” he added.

 The VA estimates that as many as 22 veterans commit suicide each day

 Dana Perry, one of the two filmmakers behind the project, used her acceptance speech to urge veterans to seek help.

 “We should talk about suicide out loud,” said Perry, whose son committed suicide when he was 15.