September is Suicide Prevention Month
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) continues to address the tragedy of suicide among Veterans and remains committed to helping find support before a crisis happens.
September is Suicide Prevention Month, and this month and every month you can help prevent suicide. You do not need special training to show a Veteran you care. Even simple actions of support can make a real difference to someone going through a challenging time. Many events in life can cause stress including divorce, job loss, substance abuse or housing insecurity are all risk factors for suicide. VA Western New York Healthcare System (VAWNYHS) has dedicated staff to help Veterans in crisis.
“The VAWNYHS suicide prevention team consists of clinical, and community based social workers. We aid Veterans who have experienced a mental health crisis, work to connect Veterans with proper and prompt treatment, provide added support to Veterans who may be going through a difficult season, and provide training and education on mental health and suicide prevention topics both to VA staff and to the Wester New York Community. We also serve as the local liaison to the Veteran Crisis Line,” said Katie Coric, VAWNYHS Suicide Prevention Program Manager. VAWNYHS has several options if a Veteran needs to talk with someone about their mental health: The Mental Health Clinic found on 10B has unrestricted access hours Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. and can be reached at