VA Under Secretary for Health attends local VA Suicide Prevention Awareness Event
PRESS RELEASE
September 18, 2023
Tamarac , FL — September is Suicide Prevention month, and on September 15, the Miami VA Healthcare System recognized the occasion at the William “Bill” Kling VA Outpatient Clinic with an event featuring resources for Veterans, a VSO roundtable, and special guest speakers.
VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Shereef Elnahal headlined the event, making a special trip from Washington, D.C. to share a powerful message in support of Veterans who are struggling, or may find themselves struggling in the future.
“Veterans were clearly trained to do a mission that places others before themselves,” Elnahal said. “That is the definition of what every Veteran did when they signed up to defend our freedom. And so, what that has led to, inadvertently, is a tendency for Veterans to not accept help themselves when they need it.”
Elnahal went into detail on first-hand accounts of VA interventions that have recently saved lives; and spoke at length about what it takes to keep making progress against Veteran suicide.
Various speakers joined Elnahal in delivering distinct but unanimous remarks in support of Veterans’ specialty health care needs. Veterans and VA staff filed into the event area after browsing more than 20 tables of resources and subject matter experts, all aimed at helping Veterans connect with care.
Miami VA Healthcare System Director Kalautie S. JangDhari was on hand, speaking with Veterans and staff, meeting with Elnahal and others regarding the future of VA care and suicide prevention.
“Here in Miami we’re blessed to have one of the best Suicide Prevention teams in the country, and the numbers back that up. I support the team’s hard work every way I can, and we work together on continuous improvement,” JangDhari said. “We want to create an atmosphere where every Veteran feels comfortable enough to reach out for care when they need it. And we will stop at nothing to make that happen.”
For video of the event https://www.facebook.com/MiamiVAMC/.
If you’re a Veteran (or know one) who’s considering suicide, call the National Suicide and Crisis hotline at 988. Reach out to any of your VA providers for help, who are just a phone call away. Virtual chat is available as well.
Kenneth Griffin, Public Affairs Officer
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