Mental Health Day at the Columbus VA

Veterans and Suicide

A recent New York Times article on Veterans and Suicide reveals that according to the CDC, veterans account for at least one out of every 5 suicides every year. Ohio has the 4th highest veteran population of all of the states, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Psychologists play a critical role in suicide assessment and prevention, as do suicide prevention hotlines. Here are some important websites and phone numbers to have available if you know someone who is suicidal.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK
Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation
Ohio Department of Mental Health: Suicide Prevention

Please also consider supporting research for suicide prevention by donating to or participating in the "Out of the Darkness" Suicide Prevention Walks.

Give An Hour: Service for Veterans

Give an Hour is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop a national network of volunteers capable of responding to both acute and chronic conditions that arise within our society. They are initially focusing on the U.S. troops and families affected by the current military conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Large numbers of veterans are returning home to find that they must cope with a wide range of psychological difficulties. There is an opportunity to prevent a national tragedy and we have the obligation and the resources to do so.

A national network has been created of mental health professionals who are literally giving an hour of their time each week to provide free mental health services to military personnel and their families. By providing critical psychological support to these families, it supports the sacrifices they are making and ameliorate the difficulties they face.

Thus far, nearly 1000 professionals from the mental health community have registered to participate in this critical effort. Professionals are being asked to provide the type of services they currently provide in their offices. While no additional training is required, we offer a variety of training opportunities to those individuals who might be interested. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to interact with each other, to share information about their experience and to seek feedback and additional resources.

Providers to participate in the network for one year in order to provide continuity of care for these deserving families. Those individuals who receive services from the Give an Hour network will be given the opportunity to give back to their own communities.

Please visit www.giveanhour.org to sign up for our national network and to learn more about the organization.