Analysis of Two Pending Senate Bills that Renew Fox Grant Program to Prevent Veteran Suicide

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Written By Russell Lemle

Two Senate bills propose to renew and expand the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program.

 The first iteration of this program, which surges public dollars to private organizations to identity and engage with veterans in mental crisis, wasn't perfect, but it included important data accountability measures. Now, as the program comes up for renewal, VHPI Senior Policy Analyst Russell Lemle raises a series of concerns with new language meant to dilute these vital outcome measures. Read his analysis here.

Russell Lemle

Russell B. Lemle, PhD, is a Senior Policy Analyst for the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute. From 1981 to 2019, he worked for the San Francisco VA Healthcare System, the last 25 years as Chief Psychologist. 

He’s authored numerous scientific publications and media commentaries, including in The Hill, Task & Purpose, The American Prospect, Washington Monthly, Federal Practitioner, Guns & Ammo and California Firing Line on the prevention of firearm suicide and the looming decimation of the VA resulting from explosive outsourcing of veterans’ health care to the private sector. Dr. Lemle has been widely recognized for his contributions to veterans’ health care policy and firearm suicide prevention, including the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 18 Harold Hildreth Award (2011), Association of VA Psychologist Leaders (AVAPL) Antonette Zeiss Distinguished Career Award (2013), AVAPL Patrick DeLeon Advocacy Award (2016), the Disabled American Veterans’ Special Recognition Award for Veterans Health Care Advocacy (2020), and APA Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest- Senior Career (2024). In 2017, the AVAPL Russell B. Lemle Leadership Award was established in his honor. He was a member of the Presidential PREVENTS task force and has testified to Congress on veterans’ mental health policy.

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