JEFFERSON CITY –The Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families is launching a new training video intended to help individuals support someone they know who may be struggling with a suicidal crisis and has a safety plan. A safety plan is a brief intervention to help those experiencing self-harm and suicidal thoughts. It has coping strategies and resources an individual can use to decrease their risk of suicidal behavior and consists of six steps: warning signs, internal coping strategies, people and social settings that provide distraction, people to ask for help during crisis, professionals or agencies to contact during a crisis, and ways to make the environment safer. The video is accessible to anyone who wants to view it on the MO.gov YouTube channel https://youtu.be/RFtKlzwhkgY. It is intended to complement existing suicide prevention training. Organizations providing suicide prevention training are encouraged to use this video to help individuals better prepare for how to support someone that has a safety plan. Missouri began participating in this program in early 2021. Governor Mike Parson’s Team consists of members from the Governor’s Office, Department of Mental Health, Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development, Department of Social Services, Missouri Veterans Commission, Office of State Courts Administrators, Missouri National Guard, Department of Corrections, American Legion-Missouri, Compass Health Network, Missouri AgrAbility, Missouri Behavioral Health Council, Missouri Institute of Mental Health-Safer Homes Collaborative, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. For more information contact Jon Sabala in DMH Veterans Services at DMH.Veteran@dmh.mo.gov. |
