By It was an honor and privilege to help plan, prepare, and emcee our 2022 Veterans Suicide Prevention Conference. The military, veterans, and their families have been a part of my life for 25 years, and I believe that helped remind me why every minute of this process was worth it.
This would not have been a successful event without the hard work and dedication from our excellent OSPF staff, presenters, the planning committee, Sebastian Junger (keynote speaker), vendors, VIPs, and most importantly – our attendees.
Arrangements for the appearance of Sebastian Junger made through UTA Speakers, New York, NY
It’s a fact:
Suicide among military personnel is at a crisis level. Though we’ve come a long way in learning how to recognize the signs and what to do to help, we need to do more even faster. This means stepping up the effort to integrate suicide prevention practices within military culture, coordinating the effort the connect those in need to life-saving resources, and promoting greater awareness of mental health and suicide.
Our conference focused on bringing organizations together to discuss how Suicide Prevention Coalitions function and how they relate to Strategy 4 of the Suicide Prevention Plan for Ohio (2020-2022), Lethal Means Safety & Community Based Interventions for Suicide, Life Side Ohio, and the importance of the Ohio Cares website.
Links to the One-Pagers discussed during our conference:
The Coalition Approach to Suicide Prevention
- Additional information about coalitions can be found on the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (OSPF) website – coalitions tab.
Lethal Means Safety Safety: A Suicide Prevention Stratgey
National Veteran Suicide Prevention
- The data discussed in this One-Pager is now outdated since the 2020 report was published. However, the tips and advice are still relevant.
If you are having suicidal thoughts:
- Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
- Call your mental health specialist.
- Call a suicide hotline number – 988
- National Suicide Prevention Line
- Seek help from your primary care provider.
- Reach out to a close friend or loved one.
Jason Lee Hughes 