By Wes O’Donnell, Managing Editor, In Military.
2019 saw U.S. military suicides reaching their highest point since record-keeping began. According to a report released last month by the Defense Suicide Prevention Office, 139 active-duty soldiers, 68 sailors, 60 airmen, and 58 Marines died by suicide last year, 40 more service members than the previous year.
In the U.S. Air Force alone, almost 1,000 airmen have committed suicide since 2010.
Tune in Friday and Saturday, September 20-21 for the annual Active Minds Suicide Prevention Awareness Symposium led by Dr. Kimberlee Ratliff, Program Director M.Ed. School Counseling at American Public University System.
What Is Active Minds?
Active Minds is a nationwide student organization that encourages students to speak freely about mental health in order to educate others and to encourage them to seek help when they need it. The organization increases awareness of mental health issues and the symptoms related to mental disorders. Active Minds also provides mental health resources for the university community as well as networking and collaboration opportunities.
According to Dr. Ratliff, “The CDC reports suicide rates have increased in 49 out of 50 states. In some states, the rate has increased up to 58%.”
She goes on to state “Suicide is preventable and Active Minds of APUS is dedicated to assisting with prevention efforts. We want to equip those who attend our conference with the knowledge to recognize risk factors associated with suicide, learn how to respond when risk factors are present, introduce protective factors that play a role in prevention, and empower them to help others access professional resources. People typically want to help but may feel unsure of what to do. We hope to bridge that gap during our annual symposium by equipping them with the knowledge and resources that can save a life.”
We welcome your attendance. Please see the schedule of topics below. The session on Saturday, September 21st at 1PM with Humberto Garcia is more military-focused.
Use the Adobe link to access all webinars:
http://apus.adobeconnect.com/suicideprevention/
We look forward to seeing you there!
If you need to reach out, don’t hesitate to call the Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, chat online, or send a text message to 838255 to receive confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
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