The New York Times (9/20, Steinhauer) reported that Be Connected, a veteran-focused suicide prevention program, has earned “a rare – and quiet – spot of bipartisan cooperation between congressional Democrats…and the Trump administration, which has moved aggressively to try to turn around the intransigent veteran suicide rate.” The program’s philosophy is based on an “increasing awareness that suicidal veterans often are best reached through members of their own community, and not the federal government.” Its goal “is to intervene on ‘the myriad issues that service members and their families struggle with’ before they ‘lead to crisis,’” according to Thomas Winkel, director of the Arizona Coalition for Military Families, which operates the program. The Times explains that “by identifying veterans who have the kinds of struggles that often lead to suicide, the program can connect them with the services they need while they still can be helped.”
Related Links:
— “Program to Prevent Suicide by Veterans Earns Bipartisan Support, “Jennifer Steinhauer, The New York Times, September 20, 2019