The American Legion’s Be the One mission and the Department of Veterans Affairs have a variety of resources to help save the life of a veteran in crisis.
The American Legion’s Be the One suicide prevention mission is saving the lives of veterans by providing resources to empower Legion Family and others to know when a veteran is in crisis and how to act to save a life. With September being National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, The American Legion and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have resources available to help veterans and loved ones in crisis.
Take suicide prevention training. The American Legion’s partnership with Columbia University Lighthouse Project has helped trained tens of thousands using the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale, which gives a suicide risk assessment via six questions that anyone can ask to help identify when someone is at risk for suicide or how to intervene if they are. Sign up now for this free, 90-minute online class to save a life. There are three training sessions scheduled for September.
Visit BetheOne.org. The webpage features resources to spread the Be the One mission that include videos, personal stories, public service announcements, social media posts, merchandise and more.
“Don’t Wait. Reach Out.” Veterans and family members can navigate a range of VA resources, such as help with career challenges, grief or loss, depression, isolation, financial hardship and more, at VA.gov/REACH.
Take action. The VA’s Suicide Prevention website provides resources for suicide prevention, coping and support, and ways to take action. This includes:
- How to talk with a veteran in crisis. This one page PDF provides tips on how to learn the signs of crisis, start a conversation with the veteran, and take action to save a life.
- Spread awareness about veteran suicide prevention. The Veterans Crisis Line website has prepared social media posts, newsletter content, flyers and fact sheets to bring awareness to veteran suicide prevention efforts.
- Locate the services you need. Whether its emergency medical care, employment assistance, housing or financial-related services, women veterans, LGBTQ+ veterans or veteran caregivers, the VA has resources tailored to you.
- Connect with stories of hope. Veterans and their loved ones share their stories of hope and mental health recovery.
- See more. The VA’s Suicide Prevention website has additional resources for understanding suicide loss, insomnia, substance abuse, anxiety and more.
Contact the VA Crisis Line The crisis line connects veterans and their families and friends with qualified VA responders 24 hours a day.
- Dial 988 and press 1
- Text the number 838255
- Chat online at www.veteranscrisisline.net/chat
If your American Legion post, district or department is supporting National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month or the Be the One mission, please share how on the platform legiontown.org under the Be the One category.
- Be the One