Posted on Sep 25, 2020
VA Offers Veteran Support Services and Resources for Women
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As we recognize Suicide Prevention Month, we can all agree that every suicide is a tragedy. Every life is precious and deserves help in times of crisis. What can we do if our friends, colleagues, or loved ones do not seek or want help? We cannot give up on anyone. If you are a Veteran who is experiencing a mental health crisis and thinking about self-harm—or if you know a Veteran who is considering this—please get help right away. You are not alone!
The Veterans Crisis Line is available for Veterans and their family and friends with free, confidential support, available 24/7 (1-800-273-TALK (8255), Press 1).
There are many concrete things you can do:
1) Be mindful and knowledgeable about the signs, symptoms, and triggers of mental illness. This is key to getting help for yourself or someone else in crisis. Some of us may not be aware that we are suffering from mental illness. Studying this list of warning signs from VA can benefit all of us by increasing our awareness.
2) Seek opportunities and share resources to encourage, help, or support others. The VA published a list of resources to specifically help women Veterans in need. Even small acts of kindness can go a long way. Every life is worth the effort it takes to show compassion.
3) VA is a national leader in suicide prevention. According to studies from VA, the rate of suicide was 2.2 times higher among female Veterans compared with non-Veteran adult women. Among women who used VHA services, there was no increase in the suicide rate or the number of suicide deaths from 2016 to 2017. One of the programs VA offers to service women and recently separated women Veterans is the Women’s Health Transition Training to educate them on health services, with an emphasis on mental health services for women. Service women and recently separated women Veterans are encouraged to sign up for a Women’s Health Transition Training session to learn about all these resources available from VHA. This course—established to connect and build awareness to transitioning service women—is led by a live, women Veteran who has experience with VHA services. The topics in class are broken down into 5 phases:
• Phase 1 – The Shift from Active Duty. You will learn about VHA, the transition from active duty to civilian or Guard/Reserve and making the change from the military health system to VHA.
• Phase 2 – Understanding the VHA. You will learn about the VA, Women’s health providers, the MISSION Act, and programs that support the need for women-specific health care.
• Phase 3 – Available Women’s Health Services. You will hear about the health services available to you if you enroll in VA health care.
• Phase 4—Enrolling in the VA. You will learn about the eligibility and enrollment process.
• Phase 5 – Transition Assistance. You will learn about other available support services and partners as you transition out of active duty.
Many participants have shared positive feedback about the course and that they did not know about all the VA offers! To register for a training session, go to http://www.va.gov/womenvet/whtt/. Live, virtual sessions are available twice per day Monday through Friday. Start times may vary.
All service women and women Veterans should feel connected and, not isolated, or alone through the transitioning process. For questions or more information, contact us at [login to see] .
The Veterans Crisis Line is available for Veterans and their family and friends with free, confidential support, available 24/7 (1-800-273-TALK (8255), Press 1).
There are many concrete things you can do:
1) Be mindful and knowledgeable about the signs, symptoms, and triggers of mental illness. This is key to getting help for yourself or someone else in crisis. Some of us may not be aware that we are suffering from mental illness. Studying this list of warning signs from VA can benefit all of us by increasing our awareness.
2) Seek opportunities and share resources to encourage, help, or support others. The VA published a list of resources to specifically help women Veterans in need. Even small acts of kindness can go a long way. Every life is worth the effort it takes to show compassion.
3) VA is a national leader in suicide prevention. According to studies from VA, the rate of suicide was 2.2 times higher among female Veterans compared with non-Veteran adult women. Among women who used VHA services, there was no increase in the suicide rate or the number of suicide deaths from 2016 to 2017. One of the programs VA offers to service women and recently separated women Veterans is the Women’s Health Transition Training to educate them on health services, with an emphasis on mental health services for women. Service women and recently separated women Veterans are encouraged to sign up for a Women’s Health Transition Training session to learn about all these resources available from VHA. This course—established to connect and build awareness to transitioning service women—is led by a live, women Veteran who has experience with VHA services. The topics in class are broken down into 5 phases:
• Phase 1 – The Shift from Active Duty. You will learn about VHA, the transition from active duty to civilian or Guard/Reserve and making the change from the military health system to VHA.
• Phase 2 – Understanding the VHA. You will learn about the VA, Women’s health providers, the MISSION Act, and programs that support the need for women-specific health care.
• Phase 3 – Available Women’s Health Services. You will hear about the health services available to you if you enroll in VA health care.
• Phase 4—Enrolling in the VA. You will learn about the eligibility and enrollment process.
• Phase 5 – Transition Assistance. You will learn about other available support services and partners as you transition out of active duty.
Many participants have shared positive feedback about the course and that they did not know about all the VA offers! To register for a training session, go to http://www.va.gov/womenvet/whtt/. Live, virtual sessions are available twice per day Monday through Friday. Start times may vary.
All service women and women Veterans should feel connected and, not isolated, or alone through the transitioning process. For questions or more information, contact us at [login to see] .
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SPC Linda Chandler
We have been seeing more and more young men and women coming into the ER who feel they have no hope. One of the biggest reason is because they are newly back in country from Theater and they are quarantined. Now don’t get me wrong they should be QuarantinedBut the way we are doing it is wrong.
A friend of mine Nephew just came back from theater and was placed in quarantine, in a room by himself no one to talk to no one to see and no one to help him. I was just told by an officer who came into the ER to help one of her soldiers That most of them will not tell anybody when they’re in mental crisis because it goes into the file and even though they were told it will not harm them in anyway it does. They are labeled with a mental health crisis or a psych court diagnosis and they don’t want that in their file.
Putting them in a room or whatever quarantine that they’re doing right now is not helping them. I had an idea that I spoke with this officer about was when someone comes back take the group and put them in the field in tents this way they are not feeling like they are trapped inside when they have spent what ever time they were in Theater out in the open where they know they can breathe. Putting them in a room for however long they have to be quarantine for 30 days or longer is just wrong. The men and women that I have spoken to said that if they could’ve been in a tent out in the open not in a closed room where they couldn’t leave they can’t do anything they can’t see their families they can’t talk to anybody there all by themselves is what is doing them in.Theater out in the open where they know they can breathe. Putting them in a room for however long they have to be quarantine 30 days or longer is just wrong. The men and women that I have spoken to said that if they could’ve been in a tent out in the open not in a closed room where they couldn’t leave they can’t do anything they can’t see their families they can’t talk to anybody there all by themselves is what is doing them in.
The first thing we learned medicine is to do no harm, that’s physical and mental we need to start listening to our troops if we don’t does young man who came back my friends cousin hung himself in that room. That hurts so deep to even hear that a young man who thought he had nowhere to go no one to talk to ended his life.
A friend of mine Nephew just came back from theater and was placed in quarantine, in a room by himself no one to talk to no one to see and no one to help him. I was just told by an officer who came into the ER to help one of her soldiers That most of them will not tell anybody when they’re in mental crisis because it goes into the file and even though they were told it will not harm them in anyway it does. They are labeled with a mental health crisis or a psych court diagnosis and they don’t want that in their file.
Putting them in a room or whatever quarantine that they’re doing right now is not helping them. I had an idea that I spoke with this officer about was when someone comes back take the group and put them in the field in tents this way they are not feeling like they are trapped inside when they have spent what ever time they were in Theater out in the open where they know they can breathe. Putting them in a room for however long they have to be quarantine for 30 days or longer is just wrong. The men and women that I have spoken to said that if they could’ve been in a tent out in the open not in a closed room where they couldn’t leave they can’t do anything they can’t see their families they can’t talk to anybody there all by themselves is what is doing them in.Theater out in the open where they know they can breathe. Putting them in a room for however long they have to be quarantine 30 days or longer is just wrong. The men and women that I have spoken to said that if they could’ve been in a tent out in the open not in a closed room where they couldn’t leave they can’t do anything they can’t see their families they can’t talk to anybody there all by themselves is what is doing them in.
The first thing we learned medicine is to do no harm, that’s physical and mental we need to start listening to our troops if we don’t does young man who came back my friends cousin hung himself in that room. That hurts so deep to even hear that a young man who thought he had nowhere to go no one to talk to ended his life.
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