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Q&A with Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen to discuss how together, we will prevent suicide for Service members and Veterans. Submit questions below!
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Join a live Q&A with Barbara Van Dahlen, PhD and Travis Bartholomew to discuss how together, we will prevent suicide for Service members and Veterans. Submit your questions below!
Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen-
Dr. Van Dahlen, a licensed clinical psychologist, was appointed to lead the PREVENTS Task Force in July 2019. She is the Founder of Give an Hour, a national nonprofit that provides free mental health care to those in need including service members, Veterans and their families. In 2012, she was named to TIME magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Dr. Van Dahlen is an expert on the psychological impact of war and a thought leader in mobilizing constituencies to create large system change. She is widely recognized for her work in changing the culture associated with mental health. A licensed clinical psychologist who practiced in the Washington, D.C. area for over 20 years, she received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Maryland in 1991.
PREVENTS Background-
Executive Order 13861: Signed on March 5, 2019, the President's Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS) is a call to action to amplify and accelerate the progress in addressing the Veteran suicide epidemic in our Nation. While there have been other efforts to address suicide prevention, this is a cabinet-level, inter-agency effort charged with developing the first federally coordinated national public health strategy to address suicide.
The goal of PREVENTS is to prevent suicide — among not just Veterans but all Americans. By adopting a holistic public health approach, PREVENTS is acting on the knowledge that suicide prevention is everyone’s business, and that by working together, locally and nationally, we can prevent suicide.
PREVENTS is building on the critical successes of suicide prevention pioneers and agencies working with Service members and Veterans. The PREVENTS Task Force is partnering with stakeholders from multiple sectors, including nonprofits, state and local organizations, Fortune 500 companies, and government leaders, to implement best practices to improve health and prevent suicide.
PREVENTS recently launched REACH, the Nation’s largest public health campaign with the central message that suicide is preventable. The REACH campaign recognizes that to prevent suicide, we must reach beyond what we have done before– including the way we think about, talk about, and address emotional pain and suffering. The REACH campaign is for everyone because we all have risk and protective factors that we need to recognize and understand.
Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen-
Dr. Van Dahlen, a licensed clinical psychologist, was appointed to lead the PREVENTS Task Force in July 2019. She is the Founder of Give an Hour, a national nonprofit that provides free mental health care to those in need including service members, Veterans and their families. In 2012, she was named to TIME magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Dr. Van Dahlen is an expert on the psychological impact of war and a thought leader in mobilizing constituencies to create large system change. She is widely recognized for her work in changing the culture associated with mental health. A licensed clinical psychologist who practiced in the Washington, D.C. area for over 20 years, she received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Maryland in 1991.
PREVENTS Background-
Executive Order 13861: Signed on March 5, 2019, the President's Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS) is a call to action to amplify and accelerate the progress in addressing the Veteran suicide epidemic in our Nation. While there have been other efforts to address suicide prevention, this is a cabinet-level, inter-agency effort charged with developing the first federally coordinated national public health strategy to address suicide.
The goal of PREVENTS is to prevent suicide — among not just Veterans but all Americans. By adopting a holistic public health approach, PREVENTS is acting on the knowledge that suicide prevention is everyone’s business, and that by working together, locally and nationally, we can prevent suicide.
PREVENTS is building on the critical successes of suicide prevention pioneers and agencies working with Service members and Veterans. The PREVENTS Task Force is partnering with stakeholders from multiple sectors, including nonprofits, state and local organizations, Fortune 500 companies, and government leaders, to implement best practices to improve health and prevent suicide.
PREVENTS recently launched REACH, the Nation’s largest public health campaign with the central message that suicide is preventable. The REACH campaign recognizes that to prevent suicide, we must reach beyond what we have done before– including the way we think about, talk about, and address emotional pain and suffering. The REACH campaign is for everyone because we all have risk and protective factors that we need to recognize and understand.
Suicide
Mental Health
PTSD
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Health
Responses: 70
Is this going to be recorded, so we can look at it later? I'm doing service officer at that time.
SrA (Join to see)
Hi SFC Roberts - There is no video or audio component for this Q&A. You can type your questions to Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen in advance on this page, and they will be answered in writing starting at 3PM EST on Tues, Aug 18th.
i think a program would be nice for instance we have vacant buildings the VA could use them a place for veterans to reaching out to each other they could have a weight room in part of building a day room on other side a place where a vet could reach out to others they could have vending machines there no booze allowed they could open it around 9am close it around 7 or 8 in evening like myself not having any family it would help
senator was out of country i havent reached out to her one 0f her staff members told me " it's a good idea problem would be having to come in redoing vacated buildings " so there went that thought down the drain
with virus still around maybe they might work on a program after virus lifts
so there is hope ?
senator was out of country i havent reached out to her one 0f her staff members told me " it's a good idea problem would be having to come in redoing vacated buildings " so there went that thought down the drain
with virus still around maybe they might work on a program after virus lifts
so there is hope ?
i suffer from biploar1 emontional depression besides having surgery on my neck bruised shoulder which sucks the virus still lurking how we suppose to keep our spirits up ?i9 dont have much family left my ex wife helps alot i havent seen my sister in 12years that was when we buried dad !!!! i live on fixed income1,109 month VA submitted over 4,000 pages alone on mental health in 1982 i was treated at ft knox its in my records they got results back told me i didt quailfy for any back pay
however under bill trump signed they been covering me with health insurance
whats wrong with the system then ?
however under bill trump signed they been covering me with health insurance
whats wrong with the system then ?
Start by asking why not more action has been taken over the REMANDED APPEALS BACKLOG, that is harming Veterans!!!
Rather than just talking and doing something for veterans is more beneficial. Example: When you can connect the veteran to the office of where he or she needs to contact would enhance far less suicides. The VA corruption must be made visible to not only veterans but also to the American Public. This no doubt (corruption) has cost the lives of many veterans who had or have enough evidences to prove their claims only to be denied, again, and again or, worst yet, is when VARO sabotages a veterans Central Folder, Stacking the Deck, with unlawful practices, a veterans law group to take on and expose the malfeasance, misfeasance, nonfeasance at VA.
The VA spends billions of dollars saying DENIED. Why promise benefits when there is no intention of GRANTING the Benefits?
The VA is set-up to FAIL, or until a veteran gives up or dies!
The VA spends billions of dollars saying DENIED. Why promise benefits when there is no intention of GRANTING the Benefits?
The VA is set-up to FAIL, or until a veteran gives up or dies!
When veterans help one another to move Legislation to provide for T.B.I. veterans as well armless veterans who cannot legally defend themselves due to their disabilities, we will prevent suicide for Service members and Veterans. I am one of those veterans who have been taken advantage of for the last 55 years. Presently, I've two-REMANDS from BVA and no attorney/law firm to represent me, thus, the only outcome is a DENIAL on the REMANDS albeit there is enough medical evidence to clearly prove "benefit of doubt" however, without a law firm, not only BVA but also VARO Manila, continue their deceitful ways. In short. Long paper trail revealing the corruption at VA Manila. Is there anyone out there to help me in my dilemma? [login to see] email
Thanking anyone in advance for help,
Sincerely
Veteran Paul Woolford
Thanking anyone in advance for help,
Sincerely
Veteran Paul Woolford
MSgt Gilbert Jones
Go to one of the military veteran organizations, DAV for one. They helped me to go from 60% to 100%. I never went to an attorney for assistance. You can also request a judicator from Wash DC, I did and got my compensation increased by 20%. The name of the game at the VA Offices is to try and discourage you, they act like the money is theirs. You have to have plenty of tenacity and keep fighting them. Once I got my feet through the hospital doors, I haven't had any problems getting all the needed treatment I need. I guess I have been pretty lucky in getting good primary doctors who listen to me and schedule me for the right specialist to see. One thing I have found out is attitude is very important, you receive what you give. Otherwords, when you see a doctor for the first time and you have a bad attitude, most times they will respond accordingly, they are only human. In my case I find that to be true, whenever I see a specialist for the first time they always seem to want to take that extra step by either referring me to someone who they think would be more suitable to help me or order further test to see if there was an underlining problem that may be causing my problem.
Barbara Van Dahlen, PhD, Hello, I appreciate that you're trying to help. Veteran and non veteran suicide is a very complex issue. I don't pretend to have any answers other than as a society we need to love each other more, but I know for certain that often times the VA makes things worse for veterans and their families.
Most doctors just don't seem to care at all and the ones that do seem to be suppressed by the system and its leadership in the hospitals and clinics.
Because most doctors are afraid of opiates or their supervisors they are happy to just let you suffer which leaves a some people in a miserable and hopeless condition in which nobody at the VA seems to care about. To add insult to injury they blame legitimate pain patients who've never abused, misused, or diverted their medicine for the opiate epidemic. Then if you try to advocate for yourself and go up against the leadership they try to crush you personally and no one seems to care about that either.
The VA is really great at making you feel like your life is worthless when you are already suffering. The primary care doctors at the Roseburg VA system near me have either quit and left or just don't care about veterans. Its really sad and I know things are actually going to get much worse and instead of trying to help they are going to blame veterans and attack pain patients that don't shut up and go away or die.
I wish you well and I hope you can find people that truly care that can make a difference.
Most doctors just don't seem to care at all and the ones that do seem to be suppressed by the system and its leadership in the hospitals and clinics.
Because most doctors are afraid of opiates or their supervisors they are happy to just let you suffer which leaves a some people in a miserable and hopeless condition in which nobody at the VA seems to care about. To add insult to injury they blame legitimate pain patients who've never abused, misused, or diverted their medicine for the opiate epidemic. Then if you try to advocate for yourself and go up against the leadership they try to crush you personally and no one seems to care about that either.
The VA is really great at making you feel like your life is worthless when you are already suffering. The primary care doctors at the Roseburg VA system near me have either quit and left or just don't care about veterans. Its really sad and I know things are actually going to get much worse and instead of trying to help they are going to blame veterans and attack pain patients that don't shut up and go away or die.
I wish you well and I hope you can find people that truly care that can make a difference.
Barbara Van Dahlen, PhD
Sgt Ezra - Thank you for taking your time to join this important conversation. Suicide is indeed a very complex issue - and requires an all of nation effort. PREVENTS is committed to doing all we can to engage those inside and outside of government - to bring hope, help and healing to those in need. If you haven’t already, please visit the website for our REACH public health campaign at http://www.wearewithinREACH.net. This is the first national public health campaign focused on suicide prevention. By changing the conversation about mental health in general - and suicide in particular - we can educate all Americans and remove the barriers that prevent those in need from seeking and receiving help. We have much to do - but together we can prevent suicide.
There is an effective and safe medication that already has great potential to treat refractory depression and potentially prevent it progressing to suicidality that were developed/studied by our NIH under the Mental Health division and they are not being championed/funded by those in leadership positions and/or by the current administration. I suspect it is due to a lack of awareness of those in decision making positions. How can the PREVENTS team champion this potential treatment and get the word out effectively so it can get the funding and support it needs to get through FDA trials and finally get to our active duty members and vets who need it the most?
SrA (Join to see)
Hi Laurie - There is no registration needed. You can type your questions to Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen in advance on this page, and they will be answered in writing starting at 3PM EST on Tues, Aug 18th.
Are you prepared to bring chaplains who can truly minister to the spiritual needs of Christian veterans in crisis? They've been excluded from Va facilities for yrs now. That would be an huge positive step, as would untying the hands of chaplains among active duty personnel currently NOT permitted to properly or fully minister to those personnel in crisis either, lest they tramp on leftist PC toes. AS A Christian and veteran, who has also grappled with major depressive episodes, and suicidal feelings, I know all too well the importance of full spiritual support, or its lack, in a time of crisis.
Barbara Van Dahlen, PhD
Thank you for your question, LTJG Smith. Faith-based communities play an important role in preventing suicide. We are proud to partner with our faith-based communities as we take on this critical effort to reach those who are hurting and struggling. Clergy are often the main source of support for those experiencing psychological distress.
Everyone can experience risk factors for suicide, including financial stress, chronic illness or pain, isolation, and mental health challenges. We also all have access to protective factors – like a sense of purpose, family, friends, and faith-based communities – to support us, particularly in a time of need.
From the beginning of our efforts, PREVENTS has worked to engage faith communities across the country. We are working in partnership with the VA ‘s Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiative to create tools with faith leaders that they can share with their congregations. We are asking them to spread the message of REACH as we change the conversation around mental health and suicide. We will continue this work because of the important role these communities play in the lives of Veterans and all Americans.
Everyone can experience risk factors for suicide, including financial stress, chronic illness or pain, isolation, and mental health challenges. We also all have access to protective factors – like a sense of purpose, family, friends, and faith-based communities – to support us, particularly in a time of need.
From the beginning of our efforts, PREVENTS has worked to engage faith communities across the country. We are working in partnership with the VA ‘s Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiative to create tools with faith leaders that they can share with their congregations. We are asking them to spread the message of REACH as we change the conversation around mental health and suicide. We will continue this work because of the important role these communities play in the lives of Veterans and all Americans.
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