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Empowering veterans
Preventing suicide through resources and research About 20 veterans and active military personnel die from suicide per day, according to the latest figures from VA researchers. It’s a mental health crisis that cannot be solved by the federal government alone. Nearly 70% of veterans who end their lives by suicide have not recently received VA health care services, revealing the need for community resources available at ASU and elsewhere to fill the gap. ASU has forged a joint venture with the Arizona Coalition for Military Families to engage and align public and private sector efforts and stakeholders on the national, state and local level for veteran suicide prevention. As an upstream model, Arizona’s Be Connected program helps clients navigate the complex health and social services systems to connect to resources they need before they reach a crisis point. Service members, veterans and their families can access the program by meeting with a resource navigator in person, calling a support line, matching to resources on the web platform beconnectedaz.org or participating in resource navigation and suicide prevention training. The program has partnered with hundreds of organizations statewide to vet more than 1,400 resources and provide a wide range of services through a single, centralized platform. ASU’s College of Health Solutions plays a key role in this program by collecting and evaluating data, including daily metrics, support line and navigator encounter data, and conducting the Arizona Veteran Survey, a biennial statewide survey of the military and veteran community. Synthesizing this data helps the program tailor its interventions and services to better meet community needs. The Be Connected model is an exemplar for working toward health equity for the U.S. military and veteran community. The program has earned national recognition through the Mayor’s and Governor’s Challenges to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans and Their Families, organized by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and VA. It was singled out by the White House as a program of distinction.
