CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

State groups meet to address veteran suicide

Times Record - 11/9/2019

Nov. 9--Multiple Arkansas agencies have agreed to partner to address the veteran suicide rate in the state.

Officials from the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Health, Veteran's Coalition and the Central Arkansas Veteran's Healthcare System's Suicide Prevention Program have met with U.S. Sen. John Boozman's office to create a suicide prevention program focused on veterans, military personnel and civilians. Representatives from these groups, at a second meeting on Oct. 9, met with members of the Arkansas National Guard and Arkansas Department of Health Hometown Health Improvement to further discuss the program.

An estimated 6,139 veterans including 97 Arkansans died by suicide in 2017, according to the 2019 National Veteran Suicide Prevention annual report.

"Helping our partners understand military culture and integrate suicide prevention into their work will promote a greater understanding of suicide and will help counter the stigma that can prevent active military and veterans from seeking help," said Veterans Affairs Secretary Nate Todd.

Todd said military specific prevention in Arkansas should, "be integrated into the activities of all organizations and programs" because active military and veterans are members of communities throughout the state.

"The Arkansas National Guard has Soldiers and Airmen in every county in the state. This geographic dispersion renders centralized solutions problematic. We look forward to working with our partners to provide services to our Guardsmen where they live and eliminate suicide from our ranks," said Arkansas National Guard Major General Kendall Penn.

___

(c)2019 Times Record (Fort Smith, Ark.)

Visit Times Record (Fort Smith, Ark.) at www.swtimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.