DVS says Mission VetCheck placed tens of thousands of calls; agency outlines new aftercare checks

Chief of Staff Nicole told the committees Mission VetCheck has made tens of thousands of outreach calls to veterans and that DVS is formalizing an aftercare model to follow up 24 hours, two weeks, three months and beyond after an initial referral or connection to services.

"Since November 2025, 27,544 mission vet check calls have occurred. And within those calls, there was over 1,739 that lasted more than 60 seconds," Nicole said, and DVS officials said about half of outreach connections occur in early follow-ups. Associate Commissioner Danae Smalls described an aftercare protocol that includes 24-hour and two-week checks to verify engagement with providers and to re-engage veterans who fall out of care.

DVS also emphasized that Mission VetCheck is not a crisis line but a proactive check-in to connect veterans to resources and make referrals to clinical or community partners when needed. Committee members asked for metrics distinguishing calls placed from veterans successfully connected to services; DVS committed to follow up with more detailed tracking.