Hear from three Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program Scholars on their work addressing mental health and suicide prevention in the veteran and military-connected community.

Did you know that when you store firearms in your home, your risk as well as others in the home are increased to die by suicide (1)? Most gun owners cite protection as the primary reason for owning guns (2). We need to also protect our homes against suicide risk. Here are five practical evidenced informed strategies that we can all promote to help save lives from the cunning problem of suicide.

The past few years have caused dramatic changes to learning modalities due to COVID-19. The pandemic provides a unique opportunity to integrate school-based suicide prevention strategies. Students across the country are either on campus, remotely attending from home, about to depart campus for summer break or are in classrooms at their local school.

The construction industry can help prevent suicide. Everyone has times in their lives where things seem overwhelming. Seeking help is hard. For some, there is stigma tied to seeking help, or even to letting friends and loved ones know help is needed. In the construction industry, there is an opportunity to decrease stigma tied to emotional, mental, and substance use challenges and to encourage others to reach out to a friend, coworker, supervisor or a professional who can offer treatment.

I’ve always been intrigued by human behavior and have spent my career trying to both understand and empathize with people when they are hurting while working to help them walk through that pain to find healing and resilience. I, too, have benefited from people either walking next to me, leading me, or walking behind me until I could arrive in a place of healing.

Children experience waves of emotion. Most adults understand this. Here’s the thing, that is normal.