VA, partners address vets' mental health
Commercial-NewsSep 08, 2018
Those simple words can make all the difference to a person in crisis. Those words show that someone cares -- something a suicidal person needs to hear.
That's one message imparted Friday during the sixth annual Mental Health Summit, sponsored by the
About 50 professionals from a wide area braved the weather to attend the conference at
The purpose of the summit was to bring together key stakeholders in the community with the goal of enhancing access to mental health services and addressing the mental health care needs of veterans and their family members.
Regarding suicide prevention, everyone can save a life, said
"It's everybody's business, whether you're trained or not," she said before the summit started. Just an act of kindness or being on the lookout for signs of suicidal thoughts can help save a life.
After past summits, she said, people have said how important it is for the
"It makes sense to be talking to make sure we're doing our job," Kujawski said.
The goal of the
"It really does take a village to help our veterans get the care they need," she said.
Illiana serves 33,000 veterans in 30 counties, stretching from the
"We're No. 1 in the nation with suicide prevention outreach," she said, adding it's important to get veterans in crisis to be seen by a professional as quickly as possible.
Suicide prevention is the No. 1
The audience had a chance to watch the feature-length documentary, released earlier this year, "Suicide: The Ripple Effect," which highlights the journey of
The summit also featured Gorman speaking on
Attending the summits were people from a variety of disciplines, including those who work in health care, mental health, veteran homelessness, private practice counseling, education and the
The attendees came from the immediate area, as well as
FOR HELP
--The Veterans Crisis Line is (800) 273-8255; press 1. It serves veterans, their family members and friends.
You also may have a confidential chat at www.VeteransCrisisLine.net or text to 838255.
--The site https://www.mirecc.va.gov/visn19/ supports providers, veterans, families and communities, and offers virtual and real-world tools.
--Another helpful site is www.treatmentworksforvets.org
--If you or someone you love needs help, call 911 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-TALK (8255), or visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
--Another good site is https://save.org/ (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education), which offers online training.
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