MVAA recognizes Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, highlights Veteran Connector Program

LANSING, Mich. - September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) recognizes the importance of suicide prevention and mental health support among veterans, service members and their families. The MVAA offers life-saving resources to those struggling and calls for community efforts in reducing suicide.

"Michigan veterans are dying by suicide at nearly double the rate as the non-veteran population," said MVAA director Brian L. Love. "MVAA's Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (MHSP) team works tirelessly every day to provide resources and support to those who are struggling."

In 2022, 170 Michigan veterans died by suicide, at a rate of 31.9 per 100,000, demonstrating the need for targeted, veteran-specific, suicide prevention measures and programs.

"There are a great number of life-saving resources available to those in crisis and in our community and much of the hesitancy to use those resources is rooted in the stigma associated with mental health," said MVAA MHSP analyst Jonathan Garvey. "That's why we're here - to inform and lead service members, veterans and their families to resources that save lives."

Members of the MHSP team recently became certified instructors in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and safeTALK and will be bringing this life-saving training to communities around the State of Michigan. The MHSP unit also coordinates the Link2Life program and employs community health technicians to provide direct support to veterans and their loved ones.

Link2Life offers Michigan veterans immediate and ongoing support such as education on suicide prevention, benefit coordination, emergency assistance and outreach to identify those at risk of suicide. Link2Life is open to all veterans from any branch of the United States Uniformed Services, along with families of enrolled participants. To participate, veterans can call the MVAA's Michigan Veterans Resource Service Center at 1-800-MICH-VET (800-642-4838).

Please note that the Link2Life program is not a substitute for the Veteran Crisis Line. If you or a loved one is in crisis, dial 988 and press 1 to talk to a caring, qualified responder.

"Suicide prevention takes a village approach," continued Garvey. "By encouraging our communities to be able to talk openly about suicide, we can better identify those in distress and lead them to the appropriate available resource."

MVAA also encourages community members, businesses and healthcare institutions throughout the state to participate in the agency's Michigan Veteran Connector Program. Earlier identification of service members, veterans and their families allow for referrals to be made proactively prior to a crisis. The more connected veterans are to the benefits and resources they have earned through their military service, the lower their risks are for suicide and other self-harming behaviors.

Email [email protected] to learn more and to become a Michigan Veteran Connector.

Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency - The MVAA is the central coordinating agency, providing support, care, advocacy and service to veterans and their families. As a state agency, MVAA works to identify and break down barriers veterans face in employment, education, health care and quality of life, to make Michigan a great place for veterans and their families to call home. More information about MVAA is available at Michigan.gov/MVAA or by reading our FY24 Annual Report.