Va Rolling Out Suicide Hotline Ads In Dc

[allan]

Recent VA News Releases

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VA Rolling Out Suicide Hotline Ads in DC

Peake: First-of-Its-Kind Test for VA

WASHINGTON (July 25, 2008) - Veterans and other residents of

metropolitan Washington, D.C., have begun seeing outreach information on

buses and inside subway cars about the suicide prevention hotline of the

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The red-white-and-blue displays, the centerpiece of a new three-month

outreach campaign, will highlight VA's suicide prevention hotline --

1-800-273-TALK. If the campaign is successful in raising awareness, VA

officials plan to extend the promotional campaign to other parts of the

country.

"It takes the courage and strength of a warrior to ask for help," said

Dr. James B. Peake, Secretary of Veterans Affairs. "That's the message

of this outreach."

In D.C., 80 buses, 220 subway cars and 10 subway stations will carry the

displays until mid October. VA officials will measure the effectiveness

of the outreach campaign by tracking any increase in calls to its

suicide prevention hotline from telephone numbers in the metro D.C.

area. VA's newest outreach to veterans and their families about suicide

prevention includes soon-to-be-released public service ads featuring

actor Gary Sinese.

The ads are the latest outreach tool in a suicide prevention program

that includes creation of a toll-free, round-the-clock hotline, which

began operation last summer; the expansion of hours at VA's 153 medical

facilities to care for veterans with mental health problems; the hiring

of suicide prevention counselors at each VA medical center; and special

training programs for all VA employees in medical centers and clinics to

alert them to warning signs in veterans for suicide and other emotional

problems.

VA operates one of the largest mental health programs in the country,

with about 9,000 mental health professionals, a yearly mental health

budget of about $3 billion and about 1 million patients who have a

mental health diagnosis.

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[john999]

These programs seem all aimed at the OIF/OEF vets. Where is the outreach for older vets? I don't see it when I go to the VAMC.

[allan]

Where is the outreach for older vets?

The outreach should be for all vets and they should have had this in place after WW2.

[stillhere]

Maybe I live in a shell but I go to DCMC for some of my treatment and I work around the city. I have not seen anything yet.

Good idea even if it only saves one vet.

I did notice when I called the 800# the last time that I told them I was irratated and they told me to calm down and actually toke the extra time with me.

[purple]

I read the numbers about how the VA has the largest budget for mental health, etc, etc.....and I'm highly under-impressed. Why? Because I'm a female vet. And I'm not an OIF/OEF vet.

The VA caters only to the male vet....they are still doing in here in Ohio. All kidding aside...I need to go inpatient; but I can't because I don't feel safe at the hospital. I've been grabbed by male pts at the VA hospital before, followed around, and the staff does nothing.

Me, a female vet with MST PTSD, forced to socialize with all males while inpt. How does this make me better? No, it's not good.

As for the OIF/OEF issue, I think someone else on here mentioned it also. All of the emphasis now is going towards the new vets...all of these new programs...but they are for OIF/OEF vets. Shouldn't they be for all vets? Shouldn't we all get notified of our benefits?

As a women vet, the VA has a long way to go.