Military brass: Outreach essential to suicide prevention

Military brass: Outreach essential to suicide prevention

Special to the News
Updated: July 16, 2010 9:25 a.m.



Preventing suicide among service members and veterans calls for comprehensive education and communication, Army Col. Robert W. Saum, director of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, said this week.

Testifying before the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Saum said the Department of Defense’s approach to suicide prevention is “multi-pronged,” and outreach to troops, veterans and their families is essential.

“[The department] has developed many resources and tools for service members, veterans and families,” Saum said in a written statement. “However, we realize utilization of these resources is dependent upon prevention education and communication about their existence.”

Although psychological treatment and counseling are available for those on the brink of suicide, he said, intervention programs also are in place to address stressors that may lead to suicide. Such programs include counseling for substance abuse and for relationship, legal, work and financial issues.

Saum stressed the importance of Defense Department collaboration with Veterans Affairs and private-sector organizations. The colonel’s organization serves as a central point of coordination for these groups, he said.
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Outreach essential to suicide prevention