oSuicide is a complex problem with a multifaceted interweaving of potential contributing factors. Suicide prevention (SP) training focuses greatly on mental health concerns as a root cause, yet a multitude of additional factors can contribute to suicide risk (Franklin et al., 2017). Unemployment, chronic pain, insomnia, relationship strain, and death of a child are examples of individual factors outside of mental health which may play a role in suicide. International, national, community, and relational factors also impact suicide risk (e.g., inadequate access to care, global health concerns, war, economic crises, homelessness; Turecki & Brent, 2016). With no single cause, there is no single solution to suicide for veterans (Zalsman et al., 2016). The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has launched a National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide (2018), outlining a full public health approach to address these multifactorial causes. VA's public health strategy combines community efforts to implement tailored, local prevention plans with evidence-based clinical interventions. Our approach focuses on both what can be done now, in the short term, and over the long term, to save Veterans’ lives. This presentation provides an overview of the data driving VA’s efforts, our operationalization of the strategy, the challenges and opportunities we face together with you in deploying a public health approach, and next steps each of us can take together to reduce Veteran suicide.
oDiscuss the public health approach to suicide prevention, defining the critical role of both community-based prevention and clinical intervention strategies.
oIdentify methods to normalize “reaching out” through connection across many methods (e.g., starting a conversation, sharing your story, identifying resources, care engagement, 24/7/365 support through 988).
oEmbrace the power of your own role in suicide prevention in the lives of those around you, utilizing your own specific gifts, story, and methods of connections.