The American Legion has partnered with Columbia University to host free, 90-minute training classes that provide the tools to safely intervene when a veteran is in crisis. The training supports the Legion’s veteran suicide prevention mission – Be the One – which encourages Legion Family members to take action when a veteran is at risk of suicide.
For the training, Columbia University uses the Columbia Protocol, also known as the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale, that supports suicide risk assessment through a series of six simple, plain-language questions that anyone can ask. The answers help users identify whether someone is at risk for suicide, assess the severity and immediacy of that risk, and gauge the level of support that the person needs.