Mission: #ReachOut

Q&A with Jesse Brown VA Medical Center which serves the Chicago Area and NW Indiana

As depression and suicide rates rise during the holidays, a new challenge campaign spearheaded by Jesse Brown VA Medical Center (JBVA) aims to help Veterans and others who are struggling this holiday season.

Homeland Magazine sat down with JBVA’s Jeremy D’Alessio, Community Engagement and Partnerships Coordinator, to discuss their Mission: #ReachOut initiative.

Homeland: Why Mission: #ReachOut?

JBVA: Since 9/11, four times as many U.S. service members and Veterans have died by suicide than have been killed in combat. Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, responsible for an astounding 48,000 deaths in 2021 alone. This equals about one death every 11 minutes. We need that number reduced in 2023. JBVA wants to reduce the factors that lead to an increased risk of suicide and increase the factors that promote resilience in this affected population. To help combat this concern, we created Mission: #ReachOut.

Homeland: What is Mission: #ReachOut?

JBVA: Mission: #ReachOut is an initiative to challenge people to reach out to 7 people over the course of 14 days and engage in 7 meaningful conversations. Then, we request that participants nominate/tag someone else on social media and challenge them to do the same. We hope to create a ripple effect, if you will, similar to the Ice Bucket Challenge a few years ago, for example.

Homeland: What does a meaningful conversation actually look like to JBVA?

JBVA: These conversations don’t have to be specifically about mental health or suicide. The purpose is simply to create deeper connections and learn something new about someone, yourself, or the world. Everything is better when you connect. You don’t need specialized training to show someone you care. When people just share key aspects of themselves with others, that is a meaningful conversation.

Homeland: Why is this important to JBVA?

JBVA: We’re talking about our Veterans as well as the population at large. Social isolation and a lack of connectedness to others increases the likelihood that one will die by suicide. There’s not one simple solution to preventing suicide, but we know connection is key because when a person feels connected to someone or something, they feel hope. We have to raise public awareness about this issue. We need to help save lives. Homeland: How can we, our readers and the public help JBVA and Mission: #ReachOut?

Homeland: How can we, our readers and the public help JBVA and Mission: #ReachOut?

JBVA: How can you help save lives? Simple…Join us by accepting the Mission: #ReachOut Challenge. We hope you can help us continue to build this community-wide initiative with your family, friends and sphere of influence. We encourage you to complete the campaign and share on social media what is meaningful to you, and then nominate someone else to accept the challenge.

HOMELAND: So, would this count as a meaningful conversation?

JBVA: Yes, definitely.

Homeland: Is there anything else that you would like to share?

JBVA: If any of your readers have questions about the challenge, they can contact me—Jeremy D’Alessio—at Jeremy.D’Alessio@va.gov. If you or anyone you know is contemplating suicide, please call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.

To learn more about the challenge—including tips about meaningful conversations and mental health, valuable resources for Veterans, and information on how to get help—be sure to visit our website at

www.linktr.ee/missionreachout

We know you can give this campaign the momentum needed to reach those who might be struggling in your community and beyond.

About us

At Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, we are dedicated to improving the lives of Veterans and their families every day. Our medical center provides primary care and specialty health services, including complementary and alternative medicine, mental health care, vision care (ophthalmology), pharmacy services, rehabilitation services, oncology, and more.

We currently serve 62,000 Veterans who live in Chicago; Cook County, Illinois; and four counties in northwest Indiana. You can learn more about us at www.va.gov/chicago-health-care.

@MissionReachOut

Prevent suicide by having 7 meaningful conversations in 14 days.

www.linktr.ee/missionreachout