Va Suicide Crisis

[Berta]

This is a good idea- I dont know how many of you have ever gotten calls at all hours of day or night-with a suicidal vet on the end of the line-

as long as their call ID pops up (or if suicide threats in email as long as I can get their IP) I can get an EMS service and the police are dispatched too -in a heartbeart-

I am affilated with local police,fire,EMS,911 etc-and they can dispatch to the specific state or town etc-

immediately-

fortunately most of this type of call -I was familiar with the vet and knew I could talk them down-

some of these calls were however- a demand that I do something about their VA claim or they would kill themselves-

I am not sympathetic in those situations-

We are not professionals here and these calls often impose on us a serious plea for help yet often we do not know how serious the suicide threats are- are could we?

I am about 40 minutes from Canadaigua VA and they are top notch in treatment of mental disorders in my opinion----the VA almost closed this hosp years ago and we all raised Hell-in these parts-

this is an excellent VA facility for treatment of any mental disorder-in my opinion and also the Buffalo and many other VAs in NY also are superb in this area.

The VA hot line info- courtesy Mike Harris from VA media-

hopefully is the answer as VA professionals (I think) will be handling these calls.

VA News Release - Suicide Crisis Hot Line

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 2, 2007

National Suicide Crisis Hot Line Planned for Veterans

Nicholson: A Call for Help Needs Immediate Response

WASHINGTON - To ensure veterans with mental health crises have immediate

access to trained coordinators, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

will establish a 24-hour, national suicide prevention hot line.

"This is another significant step to ensure that veterans, particularly

the newest generation of combat vets returning from Iraq and

Afghanistan, receive accessible and compassionate care for their mental

health concerns," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson.

The hot line, which is scheduled to begin operations by August 31, 2007,

will be based at the Canandaigua VA Medical Center in New York state.

Staffed by mental health professionals, it will operate seven days a

week, 24 hours a day.

In addition to staffing the hot line, the suicide prevention

coordinators will take part in training clinicians and non-clinicians on

warning signs for suicide, guide veterans into care and work within

facilities to identify veterans at risk for suicide.

VA's Canandaigua facility is already a VA center of excellence focused

on suicide prevention, mental health education and research.

VA has the nation's largest mental health program. The Department

recently announced plans to provide suicide prevention coordinators at

each of its 153 medical centers, joining more than 9,000 mental health

professionals.

Mental health services are provided at each of VA's 153 medical centers

and more than 900 outpatient clinics. Last month, Nicholson announced

an initiative to hire 100 new employees to provide readjustment

counseling at each of the Department's 207 community-based Vet Centers.

In July, VA will convene a four-day mental health forum in Washington

with the Department's top mental health professionals to review a wide

range of issues, such as integrating mental health services with primary

care, combat trauma, suicide prevention and the special needs of the

newest generation of combat veterans.

# # #

[Pete53]

Wonder how long it will take them to do it

[jecsb4]

Well Berta,

Perhaps I would be better served if I lived in your neck of the woods. I am a novice to the VA, but when I had seen my MD Shrink at the VA she gave me a number to call in case I needed to.

Well, I had a melt down and I called, and I didn't get a call back for 2 F ing days!

I guess for me and my family it is only by the grace of God and my intestonal fortitude that I did'nt do anything!

Bottom line at least in my neck of the woods in S. TX you are are your own.

jecsb4

[spike]

Yeah we in Western NY are actually lucky, I believe the PTSD clinic in Batavia is a really good program with real good people.

The VA is a big Government....and with anything that happens in Government and Military is hurry up and wait...it will be a while. I hope they put these calls into very, very good medical professionals....for Veterans sake.