Huntington VA focuses on suicide prevention
The Herald-DispatchMar 14, 2018
While all the employees at the medical center are vigilant for signs of crisis and suicidal ideation, two staff members have embraced the initiative:
Both are social workers who work in the Mental Health program at the medical center.
Brawn and Stump go beyond their normal duty hours and responsibilities. Brawn runs the internal
Their major focus in suicide prevention right now is community partnerships. Of the approximately 20 veteran suicides per day, about 14 to15 of those are veterans who are not in the
Brawn and Stump conduct multiple outreach and training events each month in the community. They encourage community partners to also be aware of suicide prevention needs of veterans and to reach out to veterans who are not in the
In addition to organizations like
Suicide prevention is one of the
"We can all agree that one veteran suicide is one too many," said
Brawn said that rather than waiting for patients to identify themselves, they look for signs.
"We send a personal postcard to every veteran flagged for suicide," she said. "We follow up on all consults from the national Veterans Crisis Line, we have intense case management and enhanced care of all veterans flagged as high risk."
Stump said they also track all hospitalizations for suicidal ideation and ensure follow-up and re-assessment after discharge.
"We also make sure there are three attempts to reach any high-risk veteran who no shows to an appointment," she said.
"Number One is to keep our veterans safe from harm," Nimmo said. "I have great confidence in
The Veterans Crisis Line is staffed with professionals who are trained to deal with veterans in crisis. Last year, the national
About the
ADDRESS OF MAIN CAMPUS:
PHONE NUMBER: 304-429-6741 or toll free 1-800-827-8244
WEBSITE: www.huntington.va.gov
SOCIAL MEDIA: www.facebook.com/VAHuntington
TOTAL NUMBER OF BEDS: 80
NUMBER OF STAFF: 1,295
MEDICAL AREAS OF FOCUS: Acute medical and surgical inpatient services as well as primary care, mental health and specialty care outpatient services
OTHER CAMPUSES/CLINICS: