by Matthew Miller
From my perspective as an Air Force Veteran with decades of experience working in Veteran suicide prevention, here are a few things all Veterans should know:
* Suicide is preventable.
* There is hope.
* VA offers a range of programs and initiatives for all Veterans, no matter when or how you served.
The first thing Veterans experiencing life challenges should know is that suicide isn’t the inevitable outcome. There are actions you can take to reduce your risk of suicide and prevent it.
Veterans can find hope through VA’s programs, initiatives and suicide prevention resources, which are open to all Veterans regardless of discharge status, no matter your enrollment in VA benefits or health care, and no matter when, where or how you served.
These resources cover everything from preventing a suicide crisis to support during a crisis. No one knows if a crisis will occur, but you’re more likely to prevent suicide if you’re prepared. Here are six suicide prevention resources all Veterans need to know about.
1. Veterans Crisis Line
If you’re a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one, contact the Veterans Crisis Line to receive immediate confidential crisis support.
To reach responders 24/7, Dial 988 then Press 1, chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or text 838255. For more information about the Veterans Crisis Line, visit VeteransCrisisLine.net.
Your call, chat or text is free and confidential, and you decide how much information to share. No matter what you’re experiencing, responders can help. They can also connect you with the resources you need, including your local suicide prevention coordinator (SPC), who will contact you the next business day for continued support.
2. Veterans Self-Check Quiz
Since stress and depression are some of the risk factors for suicide, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re managing them in healthy ways. One way to know if you might be headed toward a crisis is taking the Veterans Self-Check Quiz, which is anonymous, voluntary and confidential.
To start, learn more about the signs of crisis. After you’re finished, a VA responder will review your answers and leave a personal response for you on this secure website. If the responder feels follow-up resources could be helpful, they’ll offer options.
You decide what’s next. You may anonymously enter the online Veterans chat to talk with a responder. You can get a referral to see someone in person. Or you can decide to do nothing. It’s all up to you—no follow-up services will be provided unless you request them.
3. Safety Plan app
VA’s Safety Plan app helps you create a custom step-by-step action plan to keep yourself safe when experiencing thoughts of suicide. The app helps you identify personal coping strategies and sources of support—giving thoughts of suicide time to decrease and become more manageable.
Once you create your safety plan, you can identify your reasons to live and explore more tools to help you cope.
4. Keep It Secure
Increasing the time and distance between a person in a suicide crisis and their access to lethal means—such as firearms, medications, alcohol, opioids, ropes, cords, or sharp objects—can reduce suicide risk and save lives.
VA’s Keep It Secure program promotes awareness about the simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your family.
5. Veteran Training Portal
Our online Veteran Training self-help portal provides tools to help Veterans work on problem-solving, manage anger, develop parenting skills, and more. The free tools are based on mental health practices that have shown success with Veterans and their families.
6. Don’t wait. Reach out.
Life has its challenges. As a Veteran, you don’t have to solve them alone. The Don’t wait. Reach out. program allows you to explore VA resources by category, including:
* Career Challenges.
* Experiencing Grief or Loss.
* Feelings of Isolation.
* Living with a Disability.
* Relationship Challenges.
When it comes to many VA resources, it doesn’t matter how, when or where you served. It only matters that you served. Having access to suicide prevention resources can help reduce your risk of suicide. If you’re a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one, contact the Veterans Crisis Line to receive 24/7 confidential support.
You don’t have to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to connect. To reach responders, Dial 988 then Press 1, chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or text 838255.
