VA Suicide Hotline Calls Skyrocket, Atlantic County Service Info

Telephone calls to the Department of Veteran Affairs have skyrocketed during President Biden's military withdrawal of the United States in Afghanistan.

We’re urging that you keep your local veterans in your thoughts and prayers and keep a close eye on them.

The events in Afghanistan may have served as a trigger to many Veterans, who cope daily with managing the realities of their military service careers.

The Washington Examiner reports the following:

Between August 13-29, 2021, veterans placed more than 35,000 calls to the Veterans Crisis Line. The time frame directly coincides with the period when U.S. and coalition military forces were working to evacuate U.S. citizens and Afghans in order to protect them from potential retribution by the Taliban.

The Examiner notes that the average number of calls per day placed to the crisis line was 2,060, while the most calls, 2,570, were placed on Aug. 16, the day that Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, fell to the Taliban.

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A VA spokesperson told the Examiner that the department analyzes changes in call volume by comparing the day of the week and month with the same time the year before. There were about 2,300 more calls in this two-week period than during the same two-week period last year, a 7% increase.

Here at the local level, Atlantic County provides truly outstanding Veteran services as follows:

Veterans Services Office
Robert L. Frolow, Director
201 S. Shore Road, Ground Floor
Northfield, NJ 08225
Phone (609) 677-5700
Fax: (609) 677-5705

Below are frequently asked questions from veterans and their family members. Please contact the Veterans Services Office if you have any questions regarding the forms and processes below.