DOD and VA Partner on Nation's Only Suicide Prevention Conference Focused on Service Members and Veterans
“Make Every Connection Count: Putting the 7 Strategies for Suicide Prevention to Work” to explain how broken Twitter really is in Jan 2021 they suspended the official @DSPOmil account - no really.
U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announce a new partnership
you can sign up for the conference via: https://www.dspo.mil/conference/ or https://2021-dod-va.com/
🌶 -SideBar - What Fresh Hell is this?
No really in January 2021 Twitter suspended the official @DSPOmil
Yes they sure did. Why on earth would Twitter Suspended the Defense Suicide Prevention Office’s account @DSPOmil based in preliminary research Twitter Suspended the “official DSPOmil” account around January 13 or 23, 2021 (see 2019 Archive)
2021 DOD VA CONFERENCE objective;
….dedicated to empowering all service members, veterans, and their families by providing the strategies, tools, and resources to thrive. This May, DOD and VA personnel from across the nation will convene online at the 2021 DOD/VA Suicide Prevention Conference to further the development of effective, innovative suicide prevention strategies.
Again you can sign up for the free conference via: https://www.dspo.mil/conference/ or https://2021-dod-va.com/
Make Every Connection Count: Putting the 7 Strategies for Suicide Prevention to Work’
promotes a comprehensive approach to prevention, which uses evidence-informed programs, tools, and practices to foster connectedness, increase coping and problem-solving,
create protective environments, and strengthen suicide care, among other efforts.
Suicide prevention among our Service members, Veterans, and families is a top priority for the DOD and VA.
As collaborations are key to preventing suicide, we must continue to collaborate across our agencies, as well as with other Federal agencies, nonprofits, academia, and in communities across the Nation to prevent suicide.
Make the Call - Make the Connection
Service members and veterans who are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, and those who know a service member or veteran in crisis, can call the Military Crisis Line/Veterans Crisis Line for confidential support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1 or text to 838255
or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III, Statement
“Our Departments are working tirelessly together to prevent suicide. It is our obligation—to those in uniform, our veterans, their families, and to one another—to make sure our people know they are not alone, support is within reach, and we are ready to help…This conference is invaluable for the DoD, the VA, and other experts from across the nation to learn and share suicide prevention strategies and programs, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
VA Secretary Denis McDonough, Statement
“As I promised at my nomination, reducing suicide is among my top priorities as Secretary of Veterans Affairs…we cannot do this by ourselves—there is no one fix and no single organization can end suicide alone. We need all the players at the table, from public health experts and government agencies, to faith-based and community organizations, to help prevent suicide in our military and veteran communities. I look forward to working closely with Secretary Austin, and with leaders across government, academia, non-profits, and the private sector, to make progress in this effort.”
Veterans Administration Annual Reports
National Veteran Suicide Data and Reporting
The VA conducts the largest national analysis of Veteran suicide rates each year. Findings are made available to the public in an
46,510 American adults died from suicide in 2018, including 6,435 U.S. Veterans. Here, we review, analyze, and report Veteran suicide data from 2005 to 2018, overall and across categories, including the number of suicide deaths, the average number of suicides per day, and suicide rates.
There was not a significant increase in Veteran suicide rate, average deaths per day, or count from 2017 to 2018.
The age- and sex-adjusted rate among Veterans was not significantly different in 2018 (27.5 per 100,000) than in 2017 (27.3 per 100,000).
From 2017 to 2018, the average number of Veteran suicides per day rose from 17.5 to 17.6.
The annual total number of Veteran suicide deaths increased by 36 from 2017 to 2018, an increase of 0.6% (from 6,399 in 20172 to 6,435 in 2018), while the Veteran population fell by 1.5% (from 20.4 million to 20.1 million).
each year since 2008, the number of Veteran suicides has exceeded 6,300. 6,435 Veterans died by suicide in 2018, compared with 6,056 in 2005, an increase of 6.3%, despite a decrease in the Veteran population during this time period from 24.5 million to 20.1 million.
The annual total number of Veteran suicide deaths increased by 36 from 2017 to 2018, an increase of 0.6% (from 6,399 in 20177 to 6,435 in 2018), while the Veteran population fell by 1.5% (from 20.4 million to 20.1 million).
•Data Appendix •Methods Report •Report FAQs
Past Reports - National Archived Data
2017 National Suicide Data Report -Updated September 2019
2016 National Suicide Data Report -Updated September 2018
2015 National Suicide Data Report -Updated June 2018
2014 National Suicide Data Report
Veterans Suicide Prevention
No matter what you are experiencing, suicide is preventable, and there are proven resources and effective treatments for overcoming suicidal thoughts…
https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/suicide_prevention/veterans.asp
Additional Veteran Resources
Find Local Support
Start your search to find local mental health and suicide prevention resources;
https://www.va.gov/find-locations/
Connect with your Suicide Prevention Coordinator today
Each VA medical center has a Suicide Prevention Coordinator to connect you with the counseling and services needed. Find your local suicide prevention coordinator…
https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help/local-resources
includes best practices, resources and sample posts for responding to social media posts that indicate a Veteran is having thoughts of suicide… I genuinely found the 9 page slide deck informative.
And lastly it is refreshing to have an administration talking less and doing more. Because we all know how the former Administration took Veteran Suicide Prevention - I’m pretty sure I tweeted a video of me calling the number and it terminating into an insidious voicemail black hole from hell.
Again - you can sign up for the conference via: https://www.dspo.mil/conference/ or https://2021-dod-va.com/
-for the umpteenth time I am not on Twitter. I told my readers that if @File411 was targeted and mass reported (which it was) and resulted in triggering Twitter suspension. That I would not return to that cesspool of platform. Unlike some I actually keep my word. Although it has been highly entertaining and hilarious watching so many desperately say I’m back on Twitter. Nope. I’m never returning to that platform, I find Substack to be more amenable and conducive to my writing style. Plus it’s a much quieter. And an intellectually elevated platform that fosters intelligent and more meaningful adult conversations. Apparently some these people are; either too dumb to figure out well duh I’m not on Twitter or they enjoy desperately beclowning themselves - for all of us to watch. Bless their hearts.
I've enjoyed watching the Filey-conjecture on twit-verse, too. And then comin' right over here & reading your great stuff! I agree - fwiw - your info is much better served on this platform. TY ALWAYS!!!
It's amusing to watch the know-it-alls and those who giggle at their antics. Sometimes lurking is amusing.