|
Thomas Winkel,
MA, LPC, NCC, Director
Arizona Coalition for Military Families
| ACMF is a non-profit organization in Arizona that works with public and private partners to build the state’s capacity to support Arizona’s 500,000+ service members, veterans, and their families with a collective impact model that uses an upstream approach to suicide prevention. | |
From the Desk of Thomas Winkel | |
When some people hear suicide prevention, they may imagine a dramatic scene from a movie where a savior walks in at just the right moment and saves the day, in the nick of time. The reality is that these perfectly choreographed and timed moments that make for powerful drama on the silver screen are rare in real life.
Each one of us, whether we realize it or not, has the opportunity to be that hero. The day-to-day moments we are presented with where we can make a difference may not be as noticeable, but they are just as important. Each of us can help reduce suicide, especially among service members and veterans, if we embrace and adopt an upstream mindset when it comes to suicide prevention.
| |
|
What is an Upstream Approach?
An upstream approach to suicide prevention is a way to leverage time and expand the opportunities for intervention from one single pivotal moment to a series of moments that might span years, months, weeks, or days. With the advantage of time to notice, reach out, engage, and connect – people experiencing increased stress, and the people who can support them, have more options. The idea behind an upstream approach is that rather than allow time to pass where a situation progresses to that pivotal point of crisis, systems, communities, people, and other support systems are there to provide access to resources and support to address situations as they arise before they escalate into a life-threatening crisis.
Easy to Say, Challenging to Implement
While upstream prevention is the goal for many efforts across the country, this approach is easier talked about than implemented. Historically, suicide prevention has focused on crisis intervention, so much of the existing efforts are oriented to that focus. While crisis intervention and treatment are absolutely essential, to make an impact on the disparity in veteran suicide rates, we need to also focus on upstream prevention. This requires a concerted effort to reach people all along the spectrum of the stress continuum and for all different social determinants of health.
Since 2017, Be Connected has worked in partnership with public and private sector organizations to move further upstream. An evaluation project with the CDC, as part of the Veteran Suicide Prevention Evaluation demonstration project, found that 85% of calls to the Be Connected support line are low acuity, meaning the caller could be assisted on the phone to connect to needed information and resources. About 14.5% were moderate acuity, meaning they needed more intensive support to navigate systems and resources. Only about .5% of callers required transfer to the crisis center for immediate assistance. This is an illustration of upstream prevention in action. Going into 2023, our work on risk reduction will continue to lean into upstream prevention, which is well aligned with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs public health approach to suicide prevention, Suicide Prevention 2.0.
| |
|
Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services Director Wanda Wright and ACMF Project Director Nicola Winkel attended a Veteran Suicide Prevention Workshop hosted by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Deloitte in Washington, DC, in October 2022. The purpose of the workshop was to develop action plans for addressing suicide in three focus populations: women, rural and American Indian veterans. The two-day event featured remarks and panels from leaders from the VA, Department of Defense, and other key entities, as well as intensive workgroup sessions.
A key takeaway from all three workgroups was that social isolation and disconnection from support are essential to focus on to reduce suicide risk. Workgroup members will continue to work together to develop and implement the action plans. In Arizona, we are zeroing in on reducing social isolation through our new Coaching Into Connection program, which will launch in 2023.
| |
Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox
Grant Program
| |
|
America lost a beloved son on July 21, 2020. Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox died by suicide at his home in Columbus, Georgia at the age of 25. After graduating high school in 2012, he joined the United States Army in 2014, eventually working as a sniper after completing the U.S. Army Infantry School in Fort Benning, Georgia.
To prevent tragedies like the death of SSG Fox, Congress authorized a $174 million grant program named in honor of SSG Fox. Known as the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP), the program offers up to $750,000 per grantee. The grants are awarded to community-based and government agencies to serve veterans at risk of suicide and their families. The grantees across the nation share one common mission – to prevent suicide among veterans by improving community outreach, offering suicide prevention services, and connecting veterans to community resources. Activities funded through the SSG Fox SPGP might include education about suicide risks and prevention activities as well as services including legal assistance, peer support, and health and case management services.
The opportunity to apply for funds was announced by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on April 15, 2022. The Arizona Coalition for Military Families (ACMF) partnered with the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services (ADVS) to apply for funding through this program. In late September, ADVS was notified that the application was awarded the maximum annual amount of $750,000.
The ADVS and ACMF project will focus on three lines of service: outreach to veterans in communities statewide, High Acuity Care Transition, and Coaching into Connection. All three of these lines of service address specific needs in our veteran community and are aligned with the Be Connected upstream approach and risk reduction strategy.
ADVS and ACMF are one of four awards to Arizona-based organizations. Be Connected partners U.S. VETS, Boulder Crest Foundation, and National Community Health Partners are also awardees.
| |
Property Tax Exemptions Approved | |
|
An important voter-approved initiative for veterans passed in November. The initiative reinstates property tax exemptions for disabled veterans. The approval of Proposition 130 on the statewide ballot restores a benefit that reduces the assessed value of real estate, thus reducing the amount of taxes owed.
Several factors affect the total savings for eligible veterans including annual income, county of residence in Arizona, and the value of the real estate. One tax exemption is permitted per person and does not depend on when they became an Arizona resident. The tax exemption is a welcome break on rising expenses for many households that are already stretched thin due to inflation.
With the reinstatement, disabled veterans now have the same exemption already in place in Arizona for widows, widowers, and individuals with disabilities. For more information, inquire with your county’s assessor’s office. A list can be found here.
| |
Join the Be Connected Team! | |
|
Veteran Support Line Specialist
Solari Crisis & Human Services
The Veteran Support Line Specialist is an essential part of the Be Connected ecosystem of support. Support Line Specialists respond to calls from service members, veterans and family members statewide as part of Arizona’s upstream prevention program. Specialists provide connection to resources and follow up to callers and operate as part of the broader Be Connected Team of Teams. Click here for more information and to apply.
| |
Real Stories, Real Successes!
How Be Connected Helps Arizona Veterans
| |
Volunteering for Fellow Veterans | |  |
Connection to Tutoring Service | |
|
A veteran advocate expressed a desire to support veterans in her community. After a discussion with the Be Connected team, the opportunity to help veterans with transportation to address life needs was identified. This will include transportation to doctor appointments, the grocery store, meetings, and other social events. She is thrilled to serve her community in this way.
| | |
|
An Air Force service member reported that her child had fallen behind in school due to relocation required by military service. The Be Connected support line team was able to connect the service member’s child with a tutoring service that has partnered with the Department of Defense and offers 24/7 tutoring for dependents in all subjects. The service member was extremely thankful for the connection to this great resource for her child to help make the transition into the new school and community a little easier.
| |
Financial and Food Assistance for a Father of Three | | |
Transitioning from the U.S. Navy to Civilian Life in Arizona | |
|
A combat veteran who is a father of three called in need of financial assistance. He expressed that after paying rent and utilities, there was little money left to put food on the table for his family. While the veteran expressed embarrassment over the financial need, there is never any need to feel that way when calling the Be Connected support line at 866-4AZ-VETS (866-429-8387). The professional, caring local support team understands what it is like to face hardships because many of them are in this caring role because they are either veterans themselves or come from a military family background. The support line team reassured this father, who had never asked for assistance before, and spent time thanking him for working hard, reaching out, and supporting his family. The father was connected to food and financial services. The veteran was thankful for someone to listen, encourage and help care for his family.
| | |
|
Providing support for service members to successfully transition from military service into civilian life is an important part of the work of the Be Connected team. Recently, a service member ready to conclude her active duty service called the Be Connected support line to inquire about the available support for this milestone in her military career. The team helped the soon-to-be veteran work through the steps to transition out of the United States Navy and return to civilian life in Arizona. The team also explained the services available at no cost through the Be Connected program. The team provided a list of suggested actions for the Navy service member to take through this transition period. The Be Connected team met weekly to work through the transition plan that allowed the service member to feel confident about her plan to start a new chapter. She expressed extreme gratitude to the Be Connected team for helping her successfully navigate this transition.
| |
We Can Help You Navigate Resources | |
|
The 2023 Statewide Symposium will return to an in-person event held once again at the Desert Willow Conference Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The event, taking place April 19-20, 2023, will be the 13th year that the Arizona Coalition for Military Families has hosted the Statewide Symposium. The focus remains the same – connecting with partners to strengthen how we collectively care for, serve, support, employ, educate and assist the more than 500,000 service members, veterans and military-affiliated family members who call Arizona home. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Learn more at ConnectVeterans.org/Symposium
| |
Follow Us on Social Media! |
|
The Arizona Coalition for Military Families works collaboratively with government agencies, community members, and partner organizations to form an Ecosystem of Support that Arizona's service members, veterans, and their families can access through the Be Connected support line, 866-4AZ-VETS, and ConnectVeterans.org. Be Connected offers no-cost support and connections to resources and has trained more than 6,000 community members to provide resource navigation services. | | | | |
