Q&A with Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen to discuss how together, we will prevent suicide for Service members and Veterans. Submit questions below!

You’re welcome, PVT Zehner. We are glad you found this experience to be helpful. If any questions or remarks should come up, please feel free to reply to the thread or add a comment in the box. Thank you so much for joining us and participating.

I agree, there is a therapy called logotherapy that is affective. You can read more about it here: https://www.verywellmind.com/an-overview-of-victor-frankl-s-logotherapy-4159308

Thank you.

The best way to take care of those with mental health issues is to listen to them however we just do not have enough therapists to listen to everyone for hours at a time. A 20min visit is not enough but for most we are lucky to get that.

Thank you for your question SN LaMonte. Preventing suicide starts with reaching out and starting a conversation with someone who is struggling and encouraging them find the help they need. Medications do provide help for some; it is not always the only possible solution, and there are other interventions that can help individuals understand and manage the factors that are causing their suicidal thoughts. Indeed, it may be that a number of different approaches – sometimes at different times during the course of treatment – is the solution. The most important thing for those who are struggling to remember is that treatment does work – sometimes it takes time to find the right approach, or combination of approaches but there is always reason for hope.

Thank you Dr. Nock - for all of the good work you are doing to prevent suicide. As we both know - one size doesn’t fit all. We must do a better job as a nation of recognizing the many of indicators as well as protective factors for suicide - so that all Americans are engaged in conversations that can save lives. In addition, we must identify, amplify and elevate programs that offer non traditional approaches. High on the list for PREVENTS when we think about efforts that can save the lives of our Veterans are programs that empower our men and women - providing a sense of purpose. These may be peer based programs - that offer support and/or programs that engage our Veterans in meaningful service opportunities. There are also a number of other efforts in communities that are successful in reaching Veterans to ensure that they are not isolated. We have also seen the power of community collaborative efforts - programs that link together organizations to ensure that there really is no wrong door.

We have seen very effective community based efforts - that partner with VA and other Federal agencies as well as state efforts. Finally, we know that story telling and shared experiences are powerful tools when it comes to providing support and healing. The good news is that hope and help are available - which is why no one should ever give up hope!

Check out HelpForTrauma.com
There is an intervention that works. We are working hard to get it out there more.
I'd be happy to discuss it with you. [login to see]

Thank you for doing your part to increase awareness and help change the national conversation around mental health and suicide, Erin! Please remember to share the pledge with your network so we can continue to spread the PREVENTS message to REACH. If any additional questions or remarks should come up, please feel free to reply to the thread or add your comment in the box.

Thank you, Michael.

I'm a veteran with PTSD/MST and I lost my Dad in 2013 to suicide. I miss him everyday and I'm sure you miss your son. I'm truly sorry for your loss. The VA could do a lot better. More timely appointments, people properly trained and have resources to get the veteran help. My first appointments were a waste of time. Seems they were only concerned with surface issues and PTSD is much deeper than just surface. Then you would have to wait another 6-8 weeks to get another appointment. It's hard for veterans to discuss issues that are bothering them and the VA counselors just didn't seem to be trained on how to get the vet to open up or ease into discussing problems. It's was so frustrating I almost gave up myself. I hope your son is in peace now and I wish peace for you.

A1C S.T. Hege - Thank you. There are non-profits around that work to help vets with PTSD. Have you found any to work with? Some of them offer treatment for free. Stay well and peace to you.

Hello Ms. Eckstein - I am so sorry for your loss. Thank you for joining this conversation and for your thoughtful questions. I will respond to part of your post - and Dr. Miller from the VA’s Suicide Prevention Program will respond as well - as your question crosses both of our efforts.

A primary focus of PREVENTS is to work with our community based efforts to ensure that we knit communities together programs and efforts that work for our Veterans. As we know, one size doesn’t fit all - but collaboration and coordination is key. Further, PREVENTS is focusing some of our research efforts to better understand what type of outreach efforts - and what interventions - work best for which Veterans. Your final comment re your son is so very sad - and so critical. We want to ensure that we reach those who are struggling - those who feel overwhelmed and alone - before they feel hopeless. Through our national public health campaign REACH, we are working to change the conversation about mental health and suicide, by educating all Americans about risk and protective factors, dispelling myths and directing those who are hurting to resources.

That's a great question. It has to be done at the transition point, with POCs given to the Veteran on where they plan to relocate too. DoD/VA may need to look at a database and enrollement at the transition site. My only experience with the VA during my 11 moves in 20 years was only at my last duty station in Germany, and that was only to start my disability process. Nothing was mentioned about VA Medical assistance, hot-lines, or where to go to get help if we needed it. Maybe the VA needs offices at every military station to answer questions and assist transitioning Veterans.

I agree that pre-discharge engagement and continued engagement following discharge is essential.
Rich

Thank you for all you are doing to play a role in preventing suicide, and thank you for taking time to join the PREVENTS mission!

There are approximately 20 million Veterans in the U.S. — around 18 million men and 2 million women. Of these 20 million, you are correct that fewer than half receive VA benefits or services. Approximately 6 million Veterans (around 30%) receive VHA services. VA and PREVENTS’ public health approach to suicide prevention seeks to reach all Veterans– not just those in VHA’s care. Our approach recognizes the factors beyond mental health that contribute to risk for suicide and seeks to deliver resources and support to Veterans earlier– before they reach a crisis point– and through more channels. Our efforts are guided by the PREVENTS Roadmap, an interagency guide to suicide prevention efforts at all levels of society. Recommendation 2 in the PREVENTS Roadmap calls for us to “Identify and prioritize suicide surveillance and research that focuses on a Veteran’s unique combination of individual, relationship, community, and societal factors to deliver the most effective intervention(s) tailored to meet their needs and circumstances.” In essence, the goal must be to focus “upstream” and, where possible, develop methodologies to prevent the factors that may eventually lead to a suicide attempt from occuring. Where it is not possible to prevent suicidal ideation, strategies to rapidly identify a time of crisis need to be developed along with additional treatments for underlying conditions.

In addition, Recommendation 10 in the PREVENTS Roadmap is: “Streamline access to innovative suicide prevention programs and interventions by expanding the network of qualified healthcare providers.” As nearly 60% of Veterans choose to receive healthcare outside of VA for many reasons (e.g., personal preferences, geographic constraints, eligibility barriers, and provider shortages), all community-based healthcare providers must have the knowledge and skills to ensure Veterans receive high-quality, culturally competent care (ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures), and streamlined access to available resources and services tailored to their unique needs. In addition to expanding access to qualified healthcare providers for Veterans, there is a need to improve care coordination systems both within VA and between VA and non-VA systems. Veterans often have multiple chronic conditions and health concerns, both of which may require different providers and specialty services.

PREVENTS is actively involved in developing numerous non-governmental partnership on efforts to engage Service members and Veterans outside of VA. We partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to launch Wellbeing in the Workplace, a collaborative effort to prioritize mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. Since the launch in November 2019, it’s estimated that over 6 million employees have been impacted. We also work with the U.S. Department of Defense to engage transitioning Service members in mental health and suicide prevention initiatives as they leave active duty.

The mission of PREVENTS and the REACH campaign is to change the way we think about, talk about, and address mental health and suicide. By using the public health approach– PREVENTS can be a leader in implementing primary prevention strategies: those that prevent suicidal behavior before it occurs, as well as using research and data to improve the quality of care for Veterans– and all Americans– across the nation.

Thank you for all you are doing to play a role in preventing suicide, and thank you for taking time to join the PREVENTS mission!

There are approximately 20 million Veterans in the U.S. — around 18 million men and 2 million women. Of these 20 million, you are correct that fewer than half receive VA benefits or services. Approximately 6 million Veterans (around 30%) receive VHA services. VA and PREVENTS’ public health approach to suicide prevention seeks to reach all Veterans– not just those in VHA’s care. Our approach recognizes the factors beyond mental health that contribute to risk for suicide and seeks to deliver resources and support to Veterans earlier– before they reach a crisis point– and through more channels. Our efforts are guided by the PREVENTS Roadmap, an interagency guide to suicide prevention efforts at all levels of society. Recommendation 2 in the PREVENTS Roadmap calls for us to “Identify and prioritize suicide surveillance and research that focuses on a Veteran’s unique combination of individual, relationship, community, and societal factors to deliver the most effective intervention(s) tailored to meet their needs and circumstances.” In essence, the goal must be to focus “upstream” and, where possible, develop methodologies to prevent the factors that may eventually lead to a suicide attempt from occuring. Where it is not possible to prevent suicidal ideation, strategies to rapidly identify a time of crisis need to be developed along with additional treatments for underlying conditions.

In addition, Recommendation 10 in the PREVENTS Roadmap is: “Streamline access to innovative suicide prevention programs and interventions by expanding the network of qualified healthcare providers.” As nearly 60% of Veterans choose to receive healthcare outside of VA for many reasons (e.g., personal preferences, geographic constraints, eligibility barriers, and provider shortages), all community-based healthcare providers must have the knowledge and skills to ensure Veterans receive high-quality, culturally competent care (ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures), and streamlined access to available resources and services tailored to their unique needs. In addition to expanding access to qualified healthcare providers for Veterans, there is a need to improve care coordination systems both within VA and between VA and non-VA systems. Veterans often have multiple chronic conditions and health concerns, both of which may require different providers and specialty services.

PREVENTS is actively involved in developing numerous nongovernmental partnerships to reach Veterans who are not within the VA system. As one example, we have partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to launch Wellbeing in the Workplace, a collaborative effort to prioritize mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. Since the launch in November 2019, it’s estimated that over 6 million employees have been impacted. We also work with the U.S. Department of Defense to engage transitioning Service members in mental health and suicide prevention initiatives as they leave active duty.

The mission of PREVENTS and the REACH campaign is to change the way we think about, talk about, and address mental health and suicide. By using the public health approach– PREVENTS can be a leader in implementing primary prevention strategies: those that prevent suicidal behavior before it occurs, as well as using research and data to improve the quality of care for Veterans– and all Americans– across the nation.

PO2 Douglas Payne check out the Warriors for life groups COL Mikel J. Burroughs . We welcome you!

Hi PO2 Payne, thank you for sharing your story of hope, and for bringing up an important topic in suicide prevention. As a clinical psychologist, I could not agree with you more that in order to prevent suicide, we must change the way we think about, talk about, and address mental health and suicide. Groups can be an incredibly powerful format to open these conversations and to bring support and hope to those who feel isolated and alone. And thanks to technology – groups can be formed and facilitated online.

PREVENTS and the REACH campaign are working to ensure we have a culture of openness, support, and belonging. We know that suicide is preventable, and when we can provide those who are struggling with resources and hope, we can save lives. By talking about your own story, you are bravely setting an example for others. Sharing stories of hope helps others recognize that they are not alone– we all have risk and protective factors– but that hope and help is available.

The REACH campaign is grounded in the belief that we are ALL within REACH. Though it may feel awkward or uncomfortable to ask someone we love if they have thought about suicide, it’s important to know that asking about suicide does not increase one’s risk for suicide. Instead, it invites them to have an open and honest conversation. As a society, we are much more comfortable with discussing physical health than mental health– though both are essential to our well-being. In order to encourage all Americans to REACH– we have created the PREVENTS Pledge to REACH– the pledge asks all Americans to commit to increasing awareness of mental health issues in general, as well as change the national conversation.

CPT Kletzing, thank you for this very important question – and for your very kind words about Give an Hour. My father served during WWII; he joined the Navy after Pearl Harbor and was injured. He also came home with PTS – though we wouldn’t have known what to call it then. He was an amazing man who taught me about honor, integrity, and service. It has been a privilege to work with those who serve our Nation – and their families. It is my way of honoring my father’s service to our Nation and all that he gave to me.

You are asking such an important question. As you may know, our goal through REACH is to educate all Americans about the potential risk factors that we all have. The more we know about risk factors and protective factors, the better we will be able to take care of ourselves and those we love. This is no different than taking care of our physical health – if I didn’t know I was at risk for heart disease (which I am), I wouldn’t know to watch my diet and exercise. RallyPoint members can help by engaging in conversations about risk factors and protective factors, making sure that the community is well versed and able to talk with each other, and speaking honestly about the challenges that we all face. Well-known risk factors include: having a family member who died by suicide, trauma, recent loss such as death of a loved one, divorce, or loss of job, substance misuse, a history of mental illness, and lack of access to health care. You can learn more about risk and protective factors as well as about resources on our website https://www.va.gov/prevents/ and the website for our public health campaign called REACH, which is available at https://www.wearewithinreach.net/.

In addition to knowing the risk and protective factors to look for in those we love, another important step we can all take is to reach out and start a conversation when we are worried about someone. We can all ask the question “how are you, really?” and then be ready to really listen to the answer. Its ok to give someone examples of what you are seeing that may be worrying you – let them know you care and are concerned because of what you see or hear.
And don’t be afraid to ask ask someone if they are struggling or thinking about hurting themselves. It is a myth that by asking the questions you can put the idea in someone’s head. And if the answer is “yes” to your question – you don’t have to have all of the answers. Letting someone know you want to be part of the solution is powerful. And remember, you can always call the National Suicide Prevention Line for assistance – to identify resources in your community – or to get help for your friend. And please press “1” if you are a Veteran or Service member.
As a Nation we must get to a place where conversations about our emotional health are just as common as conversations about our physical health. Suicide is preventable if we empower ourselves and others with the knowledge, tools, and resources we need to reach those that feel hopeless.

You make a good point about the bureaucracy that has developed in the VA, I have not had any problems with the VA but heard from family and friends of issues with getting appointments and proper treatment. We supported and defended for the Constitution of the United States with an unwritten promise of care after our service and it is heart breaking to hear how many struggle. My question is why does a small population within a larger population have such a hard time?

Hi PO3 Dean – thank you for your comment. While this is a difficult subject, it is very important to talk about and I appreciate you sharing your story.

Receiving care and benefits from the VA is extremely important to help maintain your mental health and well-being, and I’m sorry you had so many difficulties receiving your benefits from the VA. Through PREVENTS we are actively working with the VA – specifically VBA – to ensure that your story and others like it are better understood so that improvements are made. While there have been legislative proposals that have recently been signed into law to streamline the VA process, there is still work to be done to get all of our Veterans the care they deserve. Local Veteran organizations can also be a great resource for you if you ever need help navigating the VA process in the future.

The VA hosts a significant number of resources on its website to help Veterans learn more about and navigate the process. Click here to view those resources. And please share them with others who might be in need. You can also reach the Veterans Benefit Administration support line by calling [login to see] .