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VA Launches “Keep It Secure” Campaign for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

PRESS RELEASE

September 2, 2025

Nashville, TN - In September, VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS) encourages Veterans and their families to properly secure firearms and medication to protect loved ones in case of a suicidal crisis.

“The duration of a suicidal crisis is often time limited,” said Lesley Murray, TVHS Suicide Prevention Program Manager. “The time that it takes for someone to unlock a gun lock can often be enough to save a life.” 

According to the 2025 Tennessee State Suicide Prevention Annual Report, there were 1,279 suicides from 2022 to 2023, with firearms accounting for 69% of the cases. 

In the past year, the TVHS Suicide Prevention team distributed more than 5,200 gun locks and supported 90 outreach events. These efforts provided essential resources and information to local communities on safety and the importance of securing lethal firearms and medications, a practice known as lethal means safety. 

To further raise awareness, TVHS will host a Lethal Means Safety Day, offering information on safely securing dangerous items and providing mental health resources. The events will occur Sept. 11 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. local time: 

  1. Chattanooga VA Clinic Main Lobby
  2. Clarksville VA Clinic Main Lobby
  3. Alvin C. York VA Medical Center Main Lobby
  4. Nashville VA Medical Center Main Lobby
     

Additionally, TVHS will host a Suicide Awareness Walk in the quad of the Alvin C. York VA Medical Center Sept. 12. The event will begin at noon and provide Veterans and the community with an opportunity to walk together and raise awareness about suicide prevention resources.

To learn more about suicide prevention, visit VA lethal means safety.

VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System is an integrated tertiary health care system comprised of two hospitals, the Alvin C. York Campus in Murfreesboro and the Nashville Campus, as well as more than a dozen community-based outpatient clinics located in Tennessee and Kentucky. TVHS provides ambulatory care, primary care, and secondary care in acute medicine and surgery, specialized tertiary care, transplant services, spinal cord injury outpatient care, and a full range of extended care and mental health services.

Media contacts

Matthew Keeler, Public Affairs Specialist

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