In the course of writing Friend Grief and the Military: Band of Friends I was shocked to
discover that that number is inaccurate. It came from a Department of Defense
study that included data from only 22 states (and before you ask ‘why?’, I
haven’t found the answer yet). That means you can reasonably assume that the
number is actually closer to 50 a day.
I think everyone agrees that that either number is
unacceptable. Why is suicide on the rise for our veterans? That requires a long
discussion about family dysfunction, substance abuse, genetics, unrealistic
expectations of military life, easy access to guns, PTSD, etc. It’s an
important discussion, but for now, I’d like to introduce you to an organization
that is doing what they can to prevent more suicides, Stop Soldier Suicide:
While on active duty,
our now-CEO Brian Kinsella encountered military suicide firsthand. Within a few
months of his first assignment, one of his own Soldiers attempted to take her
own life. The suicide attempt was unsuccessful, but it made a lasting impact.
Later, a fellow Soldier took his life only days before a deployment and Brian
knew something had to be done.
Concerned about the
mental health implications of military service and the increasing military
Service member suicide rate, Brian, along with two Veteran friends, Nick Black
and Craig Gridelli, founded Stop Soldier Suicide in 2010.
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Brian Kinsella |
Theirs is a triage approach, as described on their
website:
1. Initial Contact: Active and Veteran Service members contact us
through a local chapter, our Facebook page, a 24-hour hotline or chat feature
(via our Contact Center coming soon) or other partner organizations.
2. Assess & Triage: We talk with the person or family member
contacting us to determine the urgency of the care needed and the right course
to take. It’s important for us to understand the situation so we can get the
best help available, the RIGHT help, for the Soldier or Veteran.
3. Transition & Follow up: We connect the person in need to one of
many resources, whether that be mental health professionals, local chapter
support, partner organizations or other resources that can provide care and
assistance.
The benefit to this approach is obvious: Stop
Soldier Suicide is not the VA or a mental health organization. They partner
with government agencies and nonprofits to provide support to those who contact
them without long wait times. It’s an independent organization made of people
just like those who have reached the point where they believe suicide is their
best and only option: It’s made up of veterans who have been there, done that.
They speak the same language. That’s critical, because it’s beyond the
experience of civilians to truly understand what our veterans have endured.
Memorial Day is not about living veterans. It’s
about those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our freedoms. We
honor them on that day, and always should.
But how about if we do everything we can to ensure
that our veterans do not take their own lives? How about if we help those who
are working tirelessly to reduce that 22-a-day number?
On this Memorial Day weekend, don’t just share
pictures of flags and cemeteries on Facebook. Consider donating to
Stop Soldier Suicide.
And maybe, just maybe, you’ll help lower that number
to zero.
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