A presentation to the American Counseling Association of Georgia. Proposed citation: France, D., (2019, November) Combating service member, veteran and military family suicides: Using a community-based public health approach. Presentation at the American Counseling Association of Georgia.

1. COMBATING SERVICE MEMBER, VETERAN AND
MILITARY FAMILY SUICIDES:
USING A COMMUNITY-BASED PUBLIC HEALTH
APPROACH
DUANE K. L. FRANCE, MA,
MBA, LPC
DIRECTOR OF VETERAN
SERVICES, FAMILY CARE
CENTER
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
COLORADO VETERANS
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
AGENCY

2. Critical Questions
Suicide Prevention Efforts
Professional counselors can be particularly
helpful in building the public health approach by
asking the following questions:
•How is the community collecting and
reporting data on SMVF suicides?
•How are the local emergency rooms
collecting data on suicide attempts?
•Does the community have a strategic
initiative to address SMVF suicides?
France, D., & Hallows, J. (2019, November). Suicide prevention strategies with the military-affiliated population. Counseling Today, pp. 42-47.

3. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Identify the public
health approach to
suicide prevention
1 2 3
Provide an overview of
known statistics about SMVF
suicide at the national, state,
and local level, as well as
identify gaps that exist in
data
Identify the different
aspects of the
comprehensive public
health approach to
veteran suicide

4. Access to Care
Lethal Means
Safety
Postvention
Comprehensive Public Health Approach
1. Define The
Problem
2. Identify Risk
and Protective
Factors
3. Develop and
Implement
Strategies
4. Ensure
Widest
Dissemination
Connectedness
Education and
Awareness
Economic Stability
5. Evaluate and Refine

5. DEFINING THE PROBLEM:
National Veteran Statistics
5,787 5,688 5,893 6,216 6,172 6,158 6,116 6,065 6,132 6,272 6,227 6,010
6,139
5,000
6,000
7,000
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Total Veteran Suicide Deaths
Veteran Suicides Linear (Veteran Suicides)
25.5 24.8 26.5 28.4 28.3 28.9 29.8 30.3 31.7 32.6 34.3 34.3 35.8
13.6 13.3 13.7 14.0 14.2 14.7 15.0 15.3 15.3 15.8 16.2 16.4 17.0
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Age-Adjusted Suicide Rate per 100,000
Veteran Non-Veteran Linear (Veteran )
What is the information on SMVF suicide:
Nationally
State-Wide
Locally (City / County)
VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. (2019). National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report. Washington, D.C.: Department of Veterans Affairs.

6. What is the information on SMVF suicide:
Nationally
State-Wide
Locally (City / County)
DEFINING THE PROBLEM:
National Service Member / Spouse Statistics
Department of Defense. (2019). Annual suicide report - Calendar Year 2018. Washington, D.C.: Department of Defense Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.

7. What is the information on SMVF suicide:
Nationally
State-Wide
Locally (City / County)
DEFINING THE PROBLEM:
State Veteran / Service Member Statistics

8. DEFINING THE PROBLEM:
State/Local Violent Death Statistics

9. DEFINING THE PROBLEM:
Unanswered Questions
What is the veteran population in your community?
What are the veteran suicide statistics in your community?
What are the veteran spouse and veteran child suicide statistics in your state and in
your community
What are the active duty and currently drilling military service member suicide rates in
your state and in your community
What is the active duty and currently drilling military servicer member spouse and child
suicide statistics in your state and in your community

10. Access to Care
Lethal Means
Safety
Postvention
Comprehensive Public Health Approach
1. Define The
Problem
2. Identify Risk
and Protective
Factors
3. Develop and
Implement
Strategies
4. Ensure
Widest
Dissemination
Connectedness
Education and
Awareness
Economic Stability
5. Evaluate and Refine

11. Peer Norm Programs
Community
Engagement Activities
Identifying Protective Factors
Improving Connectedness
Promoting connectedness in the military
population helps to reduce a person’s sense
of isolation. This strategy has two critical
components: peer norm programs and
community engagement activities.

12. Financial
Security
Employment
Security
Housing Stability
Identifying Protective Factors
Improving Economic Stability
Increasing economic stability is a significant
protective factor in preventing suicide. As
service members transition out of the military,
the majority are young enough to be able to
continue in another career. When housing,
employment and finances are not stable, this
can cause additional stress and increase
feelings of burdensomeness.

13. Community
Education
MedicalProfessional
Education
Gatekeeper
Education
Identifying Protective Factors
Improving Education and Awareness
Counselors who are familiar with suicide
prevention efforts can help others become
familiar with them too. Providing greater
awareness in the community is important. It
is also critical to educate medical
professionals about the problem. Counselors
can also support their communities by
facilitating or promoting gatekeeper training
for those serving the military-affiliated
population.

14. Reduce Provider
Shortage
Minimizing Risk Factors
Improve Access to Effective Care
Provide Culturally
Competent Care
Reduce Barriers To
Care
The area in which counselors are
most likely to be naturally involved is
improving access to safer care.
When it comes to the military-
affiliated population, this means
improving culturally competent care,
reducing barriers to care, and
reducing the mental health provider
shortage for those organizations that
serve this population.

15. Safe Storage Practices
Safe Firearm Storage
Minimizing Risk Factors
Increase Lethal Means Safety
Safe Medication
Storage
Identify and
Minimize Suicide
Hotspots
Counselors often fail to address the
ability of clients to engage in self-
harm. This includes talking about
lethal means safety, prescription
medication shortage, and identifying
and protecting against suicide hot
spots.

16. Provide
Bereavement
Support
Provide Care for
Attempt survivors
Minimizing Risk Factors
Increase Postvention Care and Support
Engaging service members, veterans,
families, and providers after a suicide loss
can promote healing, minimize adverse
outcomes for those affected, and decrease
the risk of suicide contagion. Postvention is
critical to preventing additional suicides in the
immediate social network of the person who
died by suicide.

17. The Way Forward: What Can You Do
Access to Care
Lethal Means
Safety
Postvention
Connectedness
Education and
Awareness
Economic Stability
1. Identify Your
Role
2. Learn More
3. Spread the
Word
4. Join the
Conversation

18. @ThCounselingVet
www.linkedin.com/in/dklfrance
@veteranmentalhealth
www.veteranmentalhealth.com
dfrance@fccsprings.com
719-540-2136
Contact Information
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