Join This Critical Suicide Prevention Project: Your Insights Can Save Lives

Barbara Van Dahlen, PhD — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 12:28:46 -0500

Bottom Line Up Front

As we enter a new year, I invite you to join a groundbreaking project by WeBe Life Inc. to assist the Department of Defense in saving lives. The project seeks feedback from Veterans, family members and caregivers about messages, tools and resources focused on suicide prevention. Participation takes only a few minutes per week between now and April 2024.

About WeBe and Our Mission

WeBe, which stands for Well Being, was founded in 2021 to address the shortage of mental health professionals globally. Our platform allows individuals to track critical elements of their well being: and to capitalize on peer support. We are leveraging the platform to better understand how the Veteran and military communities respond to various tools and resources focused on suicide prevention.

My Commitment to Veterans and the Military Community

I’m a clinical psychologist, and the daughter of a World War II Navy Veteran. My personal experiences and dedication to our Veterans led me to create Give an Hour, an organization providing free mental health care to Service members, Veterans, and their families, which I ran for 15 years. In 2019, I was appointed as the Executive Director of The President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS), a U.S. Cabinet Level Task Force. PREVENTS was created by Presidential Executive Order to build the first all-of-government and whole-of-nation effort focused on suicide prevention with our Veterans leading the way. In 2021 I co-founded WeBe Life Inc. to bring technology-based solutions to mental health.

The WeBe Suicide Prevention Project and Its Importance

This project is designed to gather feedback from the Veteran and military family communities on suicide prevention efforts. To be successful, we need your direct input and perspective. Your reactions and responses to materials will help inform the work we are doing with the Department of Defense to develop the most effective suicide prevention tools. For example, we will ask participants if they know where to refer family members or buddies that they’re worried about, and whether they prefer video-based information to written materials.

Joining the WeBe Project

Please join this project and be part of a mission that can save lives by contributing just a few minutes a week. Express your interest by sending an email to Lisa Calixto, Outreach Manager at [login to see] for more information and to sign up.

And please help us recruit additional participants by sharing this information within other Veterans and military family members.

Group Participation and Privacy

The information we gather will be based on the opinions, comments, and reactions that participants share within the WeBe app regarding suicide prevention tools and materials. Guidelines will be provided to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all participants. Individual data will not be shared outside of WeBe. Only aggregate information will be used to inform our work with the Department of Defense.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 18 at 2024 12:36 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 12:36:12 -0500

This marine corps reserved italian commander was a drug enforcement administration agent as well. A colonel I knew worked with him. They went to a bar and discussed their work. And he said he was frustrated with his work and he went home and shot himself. I'm sure if he were sober. He wouldn't have done it but nobody cares about discussing alcohol as a factor. We've had generals and other high-ranking officers killed themselves. And nobody wants to talk about their addictions. My sister committed suicide in 2015 and she had an alcohol problem.

https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2018/03/15/marine-reserve-reconnaissance-commander-found-dead-at-home/#:~:text=Adam%20L.,Beach%2C%20California%2C%20police%20department.

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Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 18 at 2024 12:39 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 12:39:22 -0500

https://www.aa.org/

There may be a chapter near you. And maybe even a veteran's chapter near you. This is an international organization.

His sobriety saves lives and minimizes depression!

Have a problem with alcohol? There is a solution. | Alcoholics Anonymous

Have a problem with alcohol? There is a solution. A.A. has a simple program that works. It’s based on one alcoholic helping another.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jan 18 at 2024 2:57 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 14:57:04 -0500

I am a firm believer that people with suicidal ideations should have a plan of action for what to do in emergencies. What are the important numbers, who do they contact, who do they see, and where to go. What is the significance of that information. Then put it on a small card for them to carry with them all the time. Having a plan is better than no plan. In the moment of crisis is not the time to try to figure out what to do. That is my 2 cents.

Why do I say this? Because I was one of them many years ago, and I had a plan.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 18 at 2024 9:37 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 21:37:28 -0500

Can you handle the feedback?

Response by Lt Col Charlie Brown made Jan 19 at 2024 6:35 AM

Lt Col Charlie Brown — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 06:35:15 -0500

Thanks Barbara. I remember you from GAH. I have reposted this to FB

Response by SSgt Richard Kensinger made Jan 19 at 2024 10:32 AM

SSgt Richard Kensinger — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 10:32:32 -0500

I conduct extensive research on combat trauma and share my data freely.
Rich

Response by SGT Robert Urbaniak made Jan 30 at 2024 9:18 AM

SGT Robert Urbaniak — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 09:18:34 -0500

I did not look forward to being beaten, and tortured every day while being a prisoner of war by the NVA. We were told to try to escape as early as possible to avoid being taken to the NVA's prison camps. As this did not happen to me I never again thought of taking my own life. Would I have been tough enough to put up with being a POW, I will never know, as this did not happen. Who knows, maybe I would have been able to live through this experience, and live to tell about it.

Response by A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney made Feb 5 at 2024 5:57 AM

A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 05:57:27 -0500