Oklahoma veteran testifies before Senate on veteran suicide prevention failures

An Oklahoma veteran who helps lead one of the state's largest suicide prevention efforts for military veterans was called to testify before Congress this week. Steffen Crow, Program Manager for Oklahoma Veterans United (OKVU), shared his experience with the SSG Parker Fox Suicide Prevention Grant and urged lawmakers to fix what he called “preventable system failures” that block at-risk veterans from care.

Crow was invited by U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas to speak before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee during a hearing on April 29 titled “Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Outreach to Support Veterans’ Mental Health.”

The Program’s Impact Across Oklahoma

OKVU has used the SSG Parker Fox Grant to reach more than 5,000 veterans over the past three years and participated in or led over 800 events designed to reduce suicide risk and connect veterans to resources.

“Veterans are not simply seen once—they are followed up with, invited to engage again, and often, encouraged to take on peer leadership roles,” Crow told lawmakers. “Many of those who stabilize through our efforts come back and ask how they can help. This transformation—from needing support to offering it—is the true outcome of the SSG Fox initiative when it is locally driven, trust-based, and mission-aligned.”

Their subcontractor, Eagle OPS, developed a statewide veteran calendar that logged over one million web hits in the past year, highlighting demand for community-driven outreach.

Frustration With VA Policy and Execution

Despite local success, Crow didn’t hold back on what’s not working. Chief among his concerns: the federal requirement that veterans complete the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) before accessing services.

“This tool has acted less as a bridge to care and more as a barrier,” he testified. “Veterans with prior traumatic experiences in healthcare settings often decline services solely because of this requirement.”

He warned that “some veterans have been traumatized by systems before. Some don’t want to answer invasive questions in a scripted format... When a veteran declines to complete the form, that should be an alarm—not a disqualification.”

He also described major differences in VA collaboration across Oklahoma. While the Oklahoma City VA embedded a liaison in OKVU’s office, streamlining care and referrals, Crow said eastern Oklahoma saw no such coordination for over a year.

Success Despite Limitations

Crow detailed how OKVU often works around limitations in the grant program to meet veterans’ real-world needs, even in crisis situations.

“Creating the ability to store [firearms] during a mental health crisis has directly prevented harm,” he wrote, referencing earlier permission (later revoked) to purchase gun safes. “Means safety interventions—including voluntary firearm storage—are recognized by the VA as best practices for preventing suicide.”

Crow also discussed wellness support strategies denied by VA policy: “Veterans consistently report improved mood and reduced stress as a result of participating” in low-cost gym memberships. “These are not luxuries—they are tools for survival.”

He added: “Veterans who participated in both gym and music therapy options often told us, ‘This is the first time I’ve felt like myself again.’”

A Call for Reform and Resources

Crow urged the Senate to invest in reforms that would give organizations like OKVU the tools to better support veterans.

“The intention of the SSG Fox Grant is to save lives,” he said. “But to do so effectively, grantees must be empowered to respond to real-world needs with the tools and staffing that work.”

He continued: “We ask not for less oversight, but for greater consistency. Veterans deserve a system that adapts to their reality—not one that requires them to fit into rigid frameworks that weren’t designed with them in mind.”

Among Crow’s specific proposals were a $1.5 million expansion for OKVU to serve six additional counties, hire staff, and build a peer recovery network. He also proposed a National Community of Practice, a real-time, digital collaboration platform for grantees nationwide.

“This CoP is not a side project—it is a force multiplier for every strategy detailed in this testimony,” he said. “Veterans deserve a system that learns as fast as it acts. This CoP is that system.”

See the full hearing and read Crow's full statement here:

https://www.veterans.senate.gov/2025/4/bridging-the-gap-enhancing-outreach-to-support-veterans-mental-health