VA Awards $698,970 to North Dakota to Expand Veteran Suicide Prevention Services

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) awarded $698,970 to the North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs (NDDVA) for Fiscal Year 2027 to expand veterans' access to mental health and suicide prevention services. The grant marks North Dakota's first award through the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP). The grant will strengthen access to mental health care for veterans across North Dakota, including those who may face barriers to receiving services because of where they live.

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, has pushed for expanded access to mental health services for veterans, regardless of their location. In April, Cramer and U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced the Every State Counts for Veterans Mental Health Act to give priority consideration to applications for SSG Fox SPGP grants from entities in states which have not previously received funding from the program. In addition to the legislation, he also authored report language in the FY26 Milcon-VA appropriations bill, signed into law in December 2025, encouraging VA to address this disparity.

"Veterans across North Dakota and across the country bravely served our nation, and were promised timely access to the mental health care they need, no matter where they live," said Cramer. "Despite North Dakota's best efforts, they were denied by the bureaucracy. This award is a welcome change in direction, helping North Dakota's veterans access mental health services and prevent suicide. I'm grateful to the VA and Secretary Collins for helping connect our veterans with the care they need and making sure some of our nation's most vulnerable veterans can get help when they need it."

Prior to this award, North Dakota was one of only five states that had not received an award under the SSG Fox SPGP, raising concerns about gaps in veteran access to appropriate mental health resources.

Cramer wrote a letter in support of the NDDVA and its application to the SSG Fox SPGP, highlighting North Dakota's culture of military service and its ranking as having one of the highest per-capita concentrations of military members in the country.

He wrote in the letter, "As a very rural state, there are challenges and barriers to accessing the robust mental health services needed to support the growing veteran community. […] By working together with state and community entities such as The North Dakota Cares Coalition, North Dakota Health and Human Services Behavioral Health Division, and FirstLink, NDDVA will support the development of education and outreach programs and increase awareness of support services like the 988 Lifeline. This collaborative approach can make a meaningful impact toward reducing suicide risk among our service members and veterans."