Love Our Vets

We applied for the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program!

Our application was submitted on June 11th for the FY27 Program. Please see our grant proposal and support letters on the home page.

About the Program

The Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP) expands suicide prevention efforts beyond clinical settings to address both mental health and social determinants of health, such as economic hardship, social connectedness, and access to care. In alignment with VA’s National Strategy for Preventing Suicide (2018-2028), and authorized by the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019, the grant program promotes a public health approach to suicide prevention that blends community-based efforts with linkage to evidence-based clinical strategies.

Grants are awarded to organizations that provide suicide prevention services for eligible Veterans and service members at risk of suicide and their families, that qualify, including:

Outreach to identify eligible Veterans at risk of suicide
Baseline mental health screening
Education on suicide risk and prevention for families and communities
Clinical services for emergency treatment
Case management services
Peer support services
Assistance in obtaining any VA or other federal, state, or local benefits the Veteran and their family may be eligible to receive, including assistance with emergent needs
Nontraditional, innovative, or other services as defined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity and approved by VA

While grantees facilitate participants’ engagement with (and reduce barriers to) clinical mental health care, most services are non-clinical and may incorporate peer, family, faith-based, and innovative components.

More than 90% of participants who complete SSG Fox SPGP services report improvements in one or more of the following areas: well-being, mental health, social support, and financial stability.

The SSG Fox SPGP prioritizes reaching Veterans not yet connected with VA in under-resourced areas with high-risk populations, aiming to help before a crisis occurs.

Since its launch in September 2022, the SSG Fox SPGP has awarded $210 million to 111 organizations across 46 states, U.S. territories, and Tribal lands.

Veteran Commitment & Grant Focus:

Touchstone honors those who served by providing dedicated transportation, residential support, and community-based mental health navigation for veterans across North Alabama. We pursue grant funding specifically targeting veteran suicide prevention, behavioral health access, and wraparound services — because the men and women who protected this country deserve more than a waitlist.

Touchstone Residential Services & the SSG Fox Suicide Prevention Grant

Touchstone Residential Services is applying for the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program — a federal initiative administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that awards up to $750,000 per organization to expand community-based suicide prevention services for veterans, active service members, and their families. In FY2027, VA has made $112 million available nationally through this program.

The SSG Fox Grant Program was established under the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act and honors Army Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox, who died by suicide at age 25 in 2020. The program prioritizes reaching veterans who are not yet connected to VA — particularly those in rural, under-resourced communities with high-risk populations. North Alabama, where Touchstone is rooted, fits that profile precisely.

Through this grant, Touchstone will deliver outreach to identify at-risk veterans, mental health screenings, case management, peer support, transportation to care, and connection to VA benefits — addressing both the clinical and social factors that drive veteran suicide. We will partner with Behavioral Health Services (BHS), Simply Amazing Ministries, and New Life Missionary Baptist Church to reach veterans where they are: in their communities, their congregations, and their homes.

More than 90% of participants in SSG Fox-funded programs report measurable improvements in well-being, mental health, social support, and financial stability. Touchstone is applying to become part of that track record — bringing this proven model to veterans in Lawrence, Limestone, and Morgan Counties who deserve more than a waitlist.

Applications for FY2027 funding close June 12, 2026. Award notifications are expected by September 30, 2026.