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Last updated on Wednesday, October 31, 2018
(UNDATED) - Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and Veteran suicide is a national concern.
Lawrence County Veterans Affair Officer Brad Bough is bringing that awareness to Lawrence County.
On Friday, November 9, the Lawrence County Veterans Service Office in partnership with the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 2, Lawrence County Suicide &PTSD Coalition, Mitchell Manor and Stone Gates Arts & Education Center will be hosting a Crisis Intervention seminar.
Asley Maynard, Suicide Prevention Coordinator from Roudebush VA Medical Center om Indianapolis will be the guest speaker.
The public is invited to attend.
The first seminar will be presented at 10:30 a.m. at Stone Gate Arts & Education Center located at 405 I Street. A second seminar will be presented at 1 p.m. at Mitchell Manor on Teke Burton Drive in Mitchell.
Each seminar will last around an hour.
The VA is actively working with external partners who are committed to preventing suicide. Suicide prevention is the VA's highest priority and the VA has made important advances, particularly in risk identification and crisis intervention.
"To prevent veteran suicide, we must help reduce veterans risk for suicide before they reach a crisis point and support those veterans who are in crisis," Bough says. "This requires expansion of treatment and prevention services and a continued focus on crisis intervention services."
There were more than 6,000 veteran suicides each year from 2008 through 2016. From 2005 through 2016 there was a lower increase rate among veterans who were receiving care through the VHA system.
Veteran suicide rates in 2018 are still higher than the rest of the population, particularly among women. An average of 20 veterans succumbed to suicide every day.
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