Short Takes on Suicide Prevention: Recent Episodes
VA Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention
Join Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention Short Takes on Suicide Prevention to hear leaders in the field. We are especially interested in topics related to Military Veterans. Topics will be relevant for Veterans, care-givers, clinicians and researchers.
Searching for the meaning of life is only natural. A meaningful life leads to a sense of purpose, self-esteem and psychological well-being. How do life experiences that are unique to Veterans alter these feelings? In this episode, Dr. Edgar Villarreal speaks with VA researcher Dr. Adam Kinney and Army Veteran, Jeff Moe to find out. They discuss how Kinney’s research, on meaning in life among Student Veterans with combat exposure, relates to Moe’s life experiences. His journey from military to student life led to supporting others as a Student Veteran Outreach Coordinator with the VA VITAL program.
Transcript Episode 135 Short Takes
VITAL: VA Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership
Article Discussed: Protective factors that mitigate the indirect risk of combat exposure upon meaning in life: A longitudinal study of student veterans
Host: Edgar Villarreal, PhD, is a Psychologist and the Director of Education and Training at the VA Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention.
Guest: Jeff Moe, LCSW, is an OEF/OIF Veteran, Social Worker, and Advocate. He currently works as the supervisor of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Suicide Prevention Telehealth Program that specializes in providing mental health services to at-risk Veterans across most of Texas and parts of New Mexico. Previously, Jeff built on his experience as a Student Veteran and worked for eight years as a VA Student Veteran Outreach Coordinator at colleges and universities in the Austin, Texas area. While in this position, he worked collaboratively with Student Veterans, faculty, and staff to develop peer mentorship and other preventive programming while also providing counseling, health care enrollment, and other support services tailored specifically to Student Veterans.
Guest: Adam Kinney, PhD, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist who completed his PhD in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University in 2019. While pursuing his PhD he collaborated with New Start for Student Veterans, a supported education program for student Veterans, to investigate factors influencing a range of clinical outcomes, including resilience, community reintegration, and academic performance. His current research focuses on improving care quality and associated outcomes for Veterans with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and sleep conditions.
Searching for the meaning of life is only natural. A meaningful life leads to a sense of purpose, self-esteem and psychological well-being. How do life experiences that are unique to Veterans alter these feelings? In this episode, Dr. Edgar Villarreal speaks with VA researcher Dr. Adam Kinney and Army Veteran, Jeff Moe to find out. They discuss how Kinney’s research, on meaning in life among Student Veterans with combat exposure, relates to Moe’s life experiences. His journey from military to student life led to supporting others as a Student Veteran Outreach Coordinator with the VA VITAL program.
Transcript Episode 135 Short Takes
VITAL: VA Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership
Article Discussed: Protective factors that mitigate the indirect risk of combat exposure upon meaning in life: A longitudinal study of student veterans
Host: Edgar Villarreal, PhD, is a Psychologist and the Director of Education and Training at the VA Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention.
Guest: Jeff Moe, LCSW, is an OEF/OIF Veteran, Social Worker, and Advocate. He currently works as the supervisor of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Suicide Prevention Telehealth Program that specializes in providing mental health services to at-risk Veterans across most of Texas and parts of New Mexico. Previously, Jeff built on his experience as a Student Veteran and worked for eight years as a VA Student Veteran Outreach Coordinator at colleges and universities in the Austin, Texas area. While in this position, he worked collaboratively with Student Veterans, faculty, and staff to develop peer mentorship and other preventive programming while also providing counseling, health care enrollment, and other support services tailored specifically to Student Veterans.
Guest: Adam Kinney, PhD, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist who completed his PhD in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University in 2019. While pursuing his PhD he collaborated with New Start for Student Veterans, a supported education program for student Veterans, to investigate factors influencing a range of clinical outcomes, including resilience, community reintegration, and academic performance. His current research focuses on improving care quality and associated outcomes for Veterans with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and sleep conditions.
It is well known that exercise can improve both physical and mental health. But what about preventing and treating PTSD in Veterans? In this episode, Dr. Edgar Villarreal speaks with researcher Dr. Daniel Reis and Army Veteran Adam Holt. Through the lens of both research and lived experience they explore exercise as an alternative treatment option for Veterans living with PTSD. Reis shares the findings of his article that reviewed research on the effect of exercise on PTSD symptoms in Veterans. And Holt shares his own journey from struggling with trauma, substance use and suicide attempts to literally running from relapse. Holt recently opened a free gym to create an active, sober community and support Veterans in recovery. Transcript Episode 134 Short Takes
Article Discussed: Exercise to Reduce Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Veterans
Host: Edgar Villarreal, PhD, is a Psychologist and the Director of Education and Training at the VA Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention.
Guest: Adam Holt is a U.S. Army Veteran and the Executive Director of Outsiders Anonymous - a 100% free gym for individuals in recovery, Veterans with PTSD, and the community that supports them.
Guest: Daniel Reis, PhD, is an Advanced Fellow in Mental Illness Research and Treatment at the VA Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention. His research interests include the relationship between lifestyle variables and mental health outcomes as well as the impact of seasonal sunlight on depression treatment outcomes.
The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Veterans Affairs of the linked web sites, or the information, products or services contained therein.
Veterans experiencing homelessness face unique challenges that increase their risk for suicide. In this episode, Dr. Edgar Villarreal talks to our guest Dr. Ryan Holliday about the need for research focused on this population. They discuss an article that explores research priorities identified by experts and Veterans with lived experience in suicide prevention and homelessness who came together in a recent VA meeting. Today's conversation covers reaching Veterans with the services they have access to, upstream interventions and the need for tailored approaches for subgroups such as women and men or rural and urban. Targeted research will help broaden suicide prevention efforts beyond mental health interventions to support those experiencing or at risk for homelessness.
Transcript Episode 133 Short Takes
Article Discussed: Establishing a Research Agenda for Suicide Prevention Among Veterans Experiencing Homelessness
Host: Edgar Villarreal, PhD, is a Psychologist and the Director of Education and Training at the VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center for Veteran Suicide Prevention.
Guest: Ryan Holliday, PhD, is a Clinical Research Psychologist at the Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center for Veteran Suicide Prevention and Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
Acquired neurologic conditions can lead to functional challenges and changes that might increase risk for suicide. In this episode, Dr. Jordan Wyrwa and Dr. Lisa Brenner discuss three recent research papers on suicide rates among Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Stroke. They talk about the similarities and differences of how these conditions impact mental health and offer guidance to providers on suicide risk screening and lethal means safety. Learn more from the resources below. Transcript: Short Takes Episode 132 Transcript
Articles Discussed:
Suicide and Traumatic Brain Injury Among Individuals Seeking Veterans Health Administration Services Between Fiscal Years 2006 and 2015
Suicide Among Veterans with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Suicide After Stroke in the US Veteran Health Administrative Population
Lethal Means Safety for Providers:
Information on lethal means safety
Free training on lethal means safety
Guest Bios:
Lisa A. Brenner, Ph.D., is a Board-Certified Rehabilitation Psychologist, a Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), Psychiatry, and Neurology at the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, and the Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center. She is also Vice Chair of Research for the Department of PM&R.
Jordan Wyrwa, DO, is a Board-Eligible Fellow Physician in Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine at Children’s Hospital Colorado. He is a recent graduate of the University of Colorado, PM&R Residency Program.
Several states in the US have legalized medical cannabis as a treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a condition that many Veterans experience. While many people with PTSD use cannabis products, questions remain about the effectiveness. In today’s conversation, forensic neuropsychiatrist Dr. Hal Wortzel talks with our guest host, Dr. Suzanne McGarity, about his recent observational study on cannabis use among people with PTSD. They discuss the nature of observational studies, the current state of the research and the results of this recent study.
Transcript: Short Takes Episode 131 Transcript
Article: The long-term, prospective, therapeutic impact of cannabis on post-traumatic stress disorder.
About Hal Wortzel: Hal Wortzel, MD, is a forensic neuropsychiatrist at the Denver VA’s Rocky Mountain MIRECC, where he serves as Director VA Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness in Psychiatry, Director of Neuropsychiatric Consultation Services, and Co-Director of the VA Suicide Risk Management Consultation Program. He is also an associate professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado. He serves as the Michael K. Cooper Professor of Neurocognitive Disease, Director of the Neuropsychiatry Service, and as faculty for the Division of Forensic Psychiatry. Current areas of clinical and academic focus include aggression and suicide in the context of PTSD and TBI, incarcerated veterans, and the application of emerging neuroscientific tools to the legal arena.
Short Takes Episode 130 Transcript
The VA is known as a leader in suicide prevention, offering innovative approaches to preventing Veteran suicide. And yet, many Veterans are not enrolled in VA care. It is therefore imperative that community organizations that serve Veterans have the resources and knowledge to help with veteran suicide prevention. The Patient Safety Center of Inquiry - Suicide Prevention Collaborative is an innovative partnership with community agencies that serve Veterans, such as homeless programs, veteran service organizations, private mental health clinics, and legal services.
In this episode, Dr. Bryann DeBeer, Clinical Research Psychologist at the Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Veteran Suicide Prevention, tells Adam Hoffberg about the Suicide Prevention Collaborative, which recently won the 2021 National VHA Community Partnership Challenge, and why building community partnership is essential for Veteran suicide prevention.
About Bryann DeBeer: Dr. Bryann DeBeer is the Director of the VA Patient Safety Center of Inquiry – Suicide Prevention Collaborative, a Clinical Research Psychologist at the VA Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention, and a Visiting Associate Professor at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. DeBeer received her B.A. in psychology and fine arts from New York University in 2003. She completed her doctoral training in clinical psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park in 2012, and obtained her clinical license in 2014. She joined the Rocky Mountain MIRECC in 2020. Dr. DeBeer has extensive experience in longitudinal assessment, treatment development, and clinical trials, particularly related to PTSD, suicide risk, and complex comorbidities in Veterans. Dr. DeBeer serves as a panel member of the VA Clinical Science Research and Development Data Monitoring Committee.
Resources:
Article about the Suicide Prevention Collaborative
Press Article about the 2021 National VHA Community Partnership Challenge Award
Suicide prevention is a worthy goal itself, but it’s about more than stopping just one suicidal event – it’s also important to address the emotional pain underlying suicide and build a meaningful life that’s truly worth living. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, known as ACT, is a therapy approach that helps people experience their emotions in a new way, take perspective on their thoughts and build a more meaningful life. Is ACT a useful approach for addressing suicide? In this episode, Dr. Sean Barnes, clinical research psychologist at the VA Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention, talks with guest host Dr. Debbie Sorensen about his research on ACT for Life, a new treatment designed to help Veterans respond effectively to suicidal thoughts and actions using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
In this episode, Barnes and Sorensen discuss:
- What ACT is, and why its approach to suicide is unique
- Sean’s intervention, ACT for Life, and how he and his colleagues are targeting suicidal behavior from a contextual behavioral approach
- Current research on ACT
- Responding to suicide-related thoughts using ACT
- The importance of values in building a life worth living
Article: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Promote Recovery from suicidal crises: A Randomized Controlled Acceptability and Feasibility Trial of ACT for life
Resources:
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline/ Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255 Veterans and Military Press 1
- Suicide Risk Management Lecture Series
About Sean Barnes: Sean M. Barnes, Ph.D. is a clinical research psychologist at the VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) for Veteran Suicide Prevention and an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. Sean is a consultant for the Department of Veterans Affairs Suicide Risk Management Consultation Program and an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Depression provider and training consultant. He is also the principal investigator of the ACT for Life study, testing a brief ACT protocol for maximizing recovery after suicidal crises. Other aspects of Sean’s research focus on the use of contextual behavioral interventions for moral injury, and the study of suicide risk assessment, but all his projects share a common goal of alleviating suffering and helping others build vital meaningful lives.
The transition from military to civilian life can be an important time for service members. For many, it is an exciting life transition. For some, however, it can be a time of high stress, and even crisis. Whether it’s changes in social support, financial stress, a change in identity, or a cultural adjustment, some service members struggle during this period and are at heightened risk for suicide.
What are the factors that increase suicide risk during that transition? Which service members are at the highest risk? Do length of service and military branch matter? What outreach and prevention efforts are being made? And what can everyone – friends, families, and clinicians – do to support our service members and veterans during the transition period?
In this episode, Dr. Bridget Matarazzo, Clinical Research Psychologist and Director of Clinical Services at the Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention, talks to Dr. Mark Reger and Brady Stephens about their research on this important topic!
About Mark Reger and Brady Stephens:
Mark Reger, Ph.D. is the Chief of Psychology at the VA Puget Sound and a professor at University of Washington School of Medicine in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. His research focuses on veteran and military prevention, risk and protective factors unique to the military community. Brady Stephens, MS SAS.C.P. is a statistician and the Director of Data Analytics and Informatics for VA VISN 2 Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention.
Resources:
Article: “Association of Suicide Risk with Transition to Civilian Life Among US Military Service Members” https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2770538
Make the Connection website (stories of other service members): https://www.maketheconnection.net/
In Transition Program (DoD) https://www.pdhealth.mil/resources/intransition
The relationship between PTSD and suicide is important to understand if we want to prevent suicide among veterans and military service members. So what is the relationship between PTSD and suicide? Well, according to suicide and PTSD researcher Dr. Ryan Holliday…. It’s complicated!
In this conversation, Dr. Holliday talks to fellow MIRECC Psychologist, Dr. Nazanin Bahraini, about his review of the recent research on suicide risk and PTSD. They discuss who is most vulnerable for suicide, and what drives suicide risk. Dr. Holliday talks about how clinicians can navigate these complex factors to help their clients in therapy, and offers some words of wisdom and support for veterans and service members who are struggling.
Social connection is a key aspect of suicide prevention in older adulthood. Dr. Kimberly Van Orden, who researches isolation and connection in older adulthood, talks to Dr. Lisa Brenner about her background in suicide prevention and older adulthood, benefits and vulnerabilities associated with aging, and why social connectedness is especially important in later life. She tells listeners about social connection planning and describes the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy model for helping older adults cope with isolation.
In our last show for season 4 we close with a look at post-traumatic growth and suicide with Dr. Daniel DeBrule. Daniel was mentored by Drs. Lawrence G. Calhoun and Richard G. Tedeschi and brings that wisdom and ideas to this podcast.
We recorded this podcast in early April just as we were still trying to understand what life would mean during the pandemic. I didn't start working on the podcast until the end of July and was worried if it would still hold up. I think it does for the most part though we are all a little wiser. One part that I really like was when Ted talks about how he got interested in working with Veterans. It was through his practicum at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago. I bring this up to encourage students to explore placements in the VA as a way to gain valuable experience in the field.
I read a column in the gardening section of the Denver Post in spring of 2019 and stumbled on the writer Chryss Cada. In the last two paragraphs she announced that this was her last column that she'd be dedicating the next portion of her journey on telling the story of losing her brother, Mark, to suicide when he was 15 and she was 12. We touched base but it was too early in her journey. Chryss got back in touch when she had finished her writing and we accomplished this podcast. Take some time to listen please.
Some time ago Adam attended an immersive theater presentation at Rose Medical Center across the street from our old VA medical center. The performances, First Do No Harm and The Clinic, were performed in the hospital and bring the audience into the experience in a wholly different way. Tara recently recorded COVID Stories. With Adam she discusses art as a way to heal.
This week we talk with gero-psychologist Evan Plys, PhD about suicide prevention in long-term care settings; from independent-living to assisted-living to nursing home. Evan has volunteered and worked in long-term care since he was young and has a special affinity for our elders. He offers advice on how to discuss suicide within these settings and with this population. He also discusses the idea of creating an environment which promotes wellness and a life worth living.
For this episode we turn the mic over to Ryan Holliday a clinical and research psychologist at RMIRECC. Ryan asked for the mic so he could interview two Sean's. The first is Shawn Liu with the VA Programs for the Homeless and the second Sean Clark, VA Veterans
Justice Outreach. The three team up to get in depth on the intersection Homelessness, Justice Involvement and Suicide Prevention. They also make the case why every clinician working with Veterans should get to know their local VA staff working in homelessness and justice involvement.
Adam Hoffberg got a chance to talk with Dr. Pearl McGee-Vincent, of the National Center for PTSD Dissemination and Training Division about the updated release of the app PTSD Coach. The wildly respected and used app now includes a digital safety plan for suicide prevention. Pearl takes us on a guided tour of the app and how it can make a difference in the lives of Veterans.
My partner came across an article from The Colorado Trust on Trauma Informed Design. The article was titled, "Using Trauma-Informed Design, Buildings Become Tools for Recovery". The article lead me to Jennifer Wilson, a social worker and research associate with the Center for Housing and Homelessness Research at the University of Denver. Jennifer agreed to the podcast and invited Laura Rossbert, Chief Operating Officer at Shopworks Architecture to join. We have talked about trauma informed care and I just had to find out about trauma informed design. Laura and Jennifer will help you gain an appreciation of the 3 C's and just what it means to truly listen to those we serve.
This week Adam is in conversation with Shane Kraus to talk about addiction and suicide prevention. Dr. Kraus discusses the behavioral addictions: gambling and sex. The great thing to hear is that both are responsive to treatment and there are many treatment resources within the VA. It starts by talking and by listening.
As the producer for the Short Takes podcast I usually just sit back while Adam interviews our guest. This week both Adam and I sat out while we turned the mic over to Tara Galovski, the co-director WoVeN - the Women Veterans Network. Tara interviewed 3 WoVeN leaders and they had such a great time telling their story. You just know this group works and loves one another and what they are doing.
This week Adam talks with Katie Juhasz from the National Center for PTSD. They talk about a new product called Card for Connection. Cards for Connection is a free resource that puts simple coping skills and VA phone numbers directly into Veterans’ hands. Originally created for Veterans who had experienced homelessness, the card deck has now been updated with information for all Veterans.
The 52 cards in the deck have easy-to-implement coping skills and important phone numbers, such as the Veterans Crisis Line and the Help for Homeless Veterans line.
As a result, Veterans playing a game of cards read positive affirmations, reminders to breathe, and encouragement to make a connection with others.
This is such a great podcast to drop right now with all the uncertainty of COVID-19. This podcast with John Ferguson and Adam Hoffberg contains two meditations from John using his Tibetan Singing Bowls. Listen to the meditations and I think you'll get an idea why the program John describes, yoga and Tibetan singing bowls, just might work. Take care.
Adam saw Dennis' Ted Talk and knew he had to reach out and learn more and see if there was a fit for a podcast. Did Dennis have more to say beyond what he told us in the Ted Talk. It turns out he did. Much more.
The VA's public-private partnership gets another turn of the mic with Adam Hoffberg interviewing Justin Miller and Chis Mercado from Objective Zero. Justin and Chris are the heart of the Objective Zero origin story and the power of listening. Listen to their story and how it has inspired many, many others to reach out and help. Visit their website: https://www.objectivezero.org/
This is the last in our series from the VA/DoD Suicide Prevention Conference. Adam wanted to get together with groups that are part of the public-private partnership that the VA has formed to promote Veteran well-being.
CaringBridge is a nonprofit social network that rallies community around people on health journeys. Their platform gives patients and caregivers a place to update family and friends, ask for help and get support and encouragement.
To start a new year we are going to shamelessly play the dog card because dogs are just great! (Cats are great too but this episode features Jimmy Tatum and Remi. Adam is also on this episode too but it really is Remi and Jimmy and the great work that K9 Partners for Patriots does. The mission of this group is, "To give veterans and active military a second chance at life by honoring and empowering those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Military Sexual Trauma through the experience of training and caring for their own service dog."
We participated in this Short Take as a follow-up to our panel at the 2019 VA/DoD Suicide Prevention Conference titled, "Bouts with Burnout: Managing Work-related Stress Across the Suicide Prevention Field." We were honored to have so many engaged attendees and wanted to offer an opportunity for folks who could not attend to learn more about our panel. Our team included Monireh Moghadam, LCSW, who presented lessons learned and prevention approaches for clinicians and suicide prevention coordinators. Aaron Barrow (Peer Support Specialists) who talked about his experiences with being Veterans in recovery and working with suicidal Veterans. Jason Chen, PhD presented on the development and application of a model for wellness among research staff. Kyla Tompkins, MA, reviewed an applied example of implementing burnout prevention programming as a non-clinician.
This episode bring Matt Miller back in the studio with Adam. Last time we spoke with Matt he was the director of the Veterans Crisis Line. This time he joins as the National Director for Suicide Prevention at the Veterans Administration. They discuss the VA's public health approach and the National Strategy to Prevent Veteran Suicide and the latest developments in research efforts.
For part 4 of our Moral Injury series Georgia Gerard interviews Chaplain Steve Sullivan about how he helped create the VA/Clergy Partnership for Rural Veterans. This partnership brings together community clergy, mental health providers, and others to help veterans gain access to both VA and community care and support. Steve worked to establish six ongoing VA/Clergy “community action boards” (CABs) in rural sites throughout Arkansas. He also served as Implementation Lead for the VA Community Clergy Training Program from 2016 to 2019. Steve has served as a hospital and VA chaplain for the last 15 years. Steve currently works as the "Community Coordinator" for VA Mental Health and Chaplaincy in Durham, NC and serves as co-leader of their “Collaborating in Care: Ministry and Mental Health” trainings.
This week's episode was recorded at the VA/DoD Suicide Prevention in Nashville, TN, August 2019. Adam was at the conference and had put out the word that he was available to record podcasts. And so he met George Stoudemire. George is a Violence Prevention instructor for US Air Force. He got involved in the program after a 2nd suicide attempt. He heard that "To be part of the solution, I needed to be part of the process." And he has had a deep, personal dive into being part of the process and being part of the solution. And that includes short videos on his Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/lee.stoudemire.98) reminding folks that they matter. My takeaway from producing this episode is George has a zest for life will bring you into the process.
We first met Duane at a VA Mental Health Summit in Colorado Springs in 2018. We had heard of him through his Twitter presence @ThCounselingVet, knew he did his own podcast titled Head Space and Timing, was a combat Veteran, a licensed therapist and an author of Combat vet don't mean crazy: veteran mental health in post-military life and found out he is a heck of a nice guy. While it took over a year for us to get together and record this podcast and another 9 months to get it out we are proud to finally get him on our small channel. Meanwhile, Duane has dropped over 165 podcasts and published a second book, Head Space and Timing: Veteran Mental Health from a Combat Veteran Perspective
Funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Veterans Health Administration, scientific study of Modeling to Learn is underway to determine its effectiveness increasing delivery of evidence-based addiction and mental health care (NIDA R01DA046651 and R21DA042198; HSRD I01HX002521; PI: Zimmerman). The Modeling to Learn program supports multidisciplinary teams of frontline psychiatry, psychology, social work, nursing and certified peer support specialist providers in the Veterans Health Administration. This podcast with Dr. Zimmerman introduces the participatory Modeling to Learn effort including the facilitators, workgroup leads, key partners and co-investigators who learn with frontline staff from MTL data and simulation resources. Dr. Zimmerman’s team, “Team PSD,” is distributed across the United States.
This episode we dedicate to Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.
The mission of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is to work collaboratively toward the prevention of homelessness and the creation of lasting solutions for homeless and at-risk families, children, and individuals throughout Colorado.
The Coalition advocates for and provides a continuum of housing and a variety of services to improve the health, well-being and stability of those it serves.
This session was recorded in December 2018. Since this discussion James and Tammy have left the Coalition.
On this week’s episode of the Rocky Mountain Short Takes on Suicide Prevention we dialed up Dr. Nathan Ainspan a research psychologist from the DoD Transition to Veteran Program Office. If you have ever been unemployed you know what it can do to your emotional well-being. Top that off with the financial effect and you can understand how this can increase risk for depression and wreak havoc on your sense of purpose.
Nate talks passionately about the idea of purpose, dedication and mission as a cornerstone of well-being. And that can start with employment, but he then stretches it out to include volunteering, getting involved in a house of worship and being a part of a larger community. Anything that adds to a sense of purpose.
To bring effective, innovative treatment to the up to 50% of Veterans entering VA health care who have Insomnia Disorder, VA has developed an online training course called “Path to Better Sleep.” In this podcast, Dr. Sarra Nazem, from Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Veteran Suicide Prevention, interviews clinical psychologists Dr. Carolyn Greene and Dr. Andrew Moon from VA’s Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention about Insomnia Disorder, the link between Insomnia Disorder and suicide, and how VA is bringing treatment directly to Veterans through the free, self-directed, online training course “Path to Better Sleep.”
For episode 100 we are going back to our guest from episode one, Dr. Peter Gutierrez. That first episode was Risk Factors, Warning Signs, and Drivers of Suicide and is a great introduction for someone coming into the clinical field of suicide prevention. In it Pete says, “Think of warning signs and risk factors as a map; drivers are the specific route your patient is traveling.”
In episode 100 we bring Pete back because of a paper that recently came out, “Investigating the reliability of suicide attempt history reporting across five measures: A study of US military service members at risk of suicide.” The paper can be read for free here.
We brought Pete in to discuss a specific aspect of the paper – do any of the 5 suicide risk assessment measures predict future suicide attempts? And, drum roll please, the answer is no, not really.
The real gem and take away of this podcast, however, each measure is a great tool to help the patient and clinician focus in on how the patient is doing week to week and are treatment goals being met. Each tool will help the patient and clinician decide what to work on now and then measure how much progress is (or isn’t) being made.
So, clinicians keep doing your good work and seeing the possibilities in preventing suicide.
This week we hand the mic to 2 researchers/clinicians, Sean Barnes and Lauren Borges, who explain how to use chain analysis in a treatment setting. Chain analysis is a truly collaborative approach that enlist the client to take a deep dive into the chain of events that lead up to the target behavior they want to change. It is a way to focus on "the processes that lead to the suffering." The work starts with the client deciding what the target behavior they want to change is, and then going back along the chain to the prompting event (first link in the chain), finding all the links between the first and last links and determining what vulnerabilities influence it all. And then focusing change on the links. Lauren and Sean break it down so it will make sense to you in your practice.
In this podcast, Judge Shakes describes how the Veterans Trauma Court is modeled after problem-solving drug courts. The court is for Veterans ready to take responsibility for themselves and their actions. The Veterans are connected to services that might range from the Veterans Administration, Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists, the Vet Center, the Family Care Center, the Peer Mentor Program, Operation TBI Freedom, and other community organizations. Judge Shakes talks about the role that trauma and/or substance abuse plays in the lives of these Veterans and how the skills they learned and used when in the military can be some of the same skills that help them out of their current straits.
“Speak the name of the beast and it will retreat;” When it comes to suicide postvention in school settings, “…it’s not whether or not we talk about it, it’s how we talk about it.” Join our host, Dr. Sarra Nazem as she welcomes Stan Collins, an expert with 20 years of postvention experience within school settings. Together they discuss considerations for developing and implementing a suicide postvention plan to assist students, teachers, administrators, and the surrounding community, and stress the importance of developing this plan even before a suicide loss occurs in an academic setting. Be sure to also check out the accompanying resources, including toolkits, manuals, and guideline documents that could help you and your school district jumpstart a comprehensive suicide prevention and postvention program today.
Suicide postvention is “not something we should wait to talk about,” especially within crisis centers. Proactive training and planning are extremely beneficial to suicide postvention for crisis lines or call centers like the Veteran Crisis Line (VCL). Learn more about what crisis centers do & how crisis centers support their callers, their employees and the agencies they work with in this episode with our host Dr. Sarra Nazem and guests, Greg Hughes, LISCW and Joi Sabrina, LPC from the VCL.
Remember “Compassion over Caution” when considering legal and ethical challenges that may arise when working with patients who are experiencing suicidal thoughts. Tune into this episode with our host Dr. Sarra Nazem, as Dr. Vanessa McGann and Skip Simpson, JD discuss suicide postvention ethical and legal considerations. They provide recommendations on how to manage confidentiality and liability queries that may arise both before and after a suicide loss in a manner that is ethical, legal, and helpful to personal and professional healing.
“We grieve because we love;” join Kim Ruocco, Vice President of T.A.P.S., and Dr. Maggie Guglielmi of the Stratton VAMC who are leaders in providing suicide postvention for those who are military connected or a part of the Veteran community (including supervisors, providers or professional caregivers who work with military personnel and veterans). In this episode, hosted by Dr. Sarra Nazem, they discuss cutting edge recommendations for postvention processes, as well as how to establish and utilize suicide postvention teams and peer support for these loss survivors. Be sure to check out the resources discussed in this episode by visiting the webpage!
Balancing administrative needs and clinical support are essential to postvention in medical settings. Listen to this episode to learn from the breadth of experience that Drs. Sung and Myers have carrying out suicide postvention processes and providing suicide postvention training and support for employees, supervisors and patients within medical settings. Together with our host, Dr. Nazem, they break down recommended best practices and provide suggested resources to help optimize suicide postvention processes.
This week, Adam interviews Dr. Diana Brostow, a Research Nutritionist at the Rocky Mountain MIRECC, about her work in food insecurity. She shares how our understanding of food insecurity is changing: It cannot be seen as strictly a poverty issue, i.e. “no money = no food = hunger”, but instead is a complex problem, shaped by social, psychological, cultural, and environmental forces. Diana shares her research findings on nutrition and mental health, explains how she is reframing food insecurity as “nutritional functioning”, and outlines future directions for this line of investigation.
: Join our host, Dr. Sarra Nazem, and Dr. Larry Berkowitz and Eliza Jordan Dolan, LISCW of the Riverside Trauma Center as they share their experiences and expertise consulting for, participating in, and implementing suicide postvention in a variety of mental health settings. In this episode, they provide recommendations and resources for developing and fine-tuning an inclusive suicide postvention process to best serve all individuals within a mental health center or private practice that may be affected by suicide loss.
Veterans Treatment Courts (VTC) are an alternative to community corrections and the Department of Corrections. It’s an opportunity for our former service members that may find themselves in the justice system to identify and treat mental health and substance use issues that they wouldn’t otherwise get the opportunity to address.
Treatment courts have been around 30 years and Veterans Treatment Courts have been around for around a decade. The difference in VTC is that our courts offer veterans specific treatment for issues like trauma and post-traumatic stress as well the opportunity to work with a veteran mentor or “battle buddy” throughout the program.
Here in Colorado we have 6 state affiliated VTCs located around the state. We are always in need of veterans who would like to volunteer to help the folks in our court. If you have an hour a month to come to court and are willing to keep in touch with a mentee, you can find information by clicking here. Or email me at joseph.ellis@judicial.state.co.us and I will get you in touch with a mentor program near you.
Postvention plans are necessary for every workplace; Dr. Sally Spencer Thomas is a psychologist and suicide loss survivor with expertise on how to provide support for those affected by suicide loss. Tune into this episode with our host Dr. Sarra Nazem as she and Dr. Spencer Thomas discuss the role of suicide postvention in the workplace, recommendations for how to put a postvention plan in place, who within a workplace should be involved, and workplace postvention resources that can be used today.
Postvention is for providers too; Professional caregivers, such as mental health providers, medical providers, social workers, trainees, case managers, psychiatrists or supervisors are likely to be exposed to a suicide loss at some point in their career. Join Dr. Nazem as she and the co-chairs of the American Association of Suicidology Clinician Survivor Taskforce, Drs. Nina Gutin and Vanessa McGann, discuss why suicide postvention is beneficial and necessary for providers, the components of a postvention plan, and recommendations for how to develop and implement postvention in professional caregiving workplaces.
The time after losing a loved one to suicide is like being on a roller-coaster blindfolded; tune in as our host Dr. Sarra Nazem and Dr. Nina Gutin guide us through the lived experiences of family members and friends after a suicide loss. Together they establish what this experience is like for both individuals impacted by the loss and for those around them. They’ll communicate what to expect and how to both provide and seek support for oneself or loved ones including children and adolescents. Dr. Nina Gutin is a suicide loss survivor, clinical psychologist, and pioneer in the field of suicide postvention.
Postvention is Prevention; join our host Dr. Sarra Nazem as she and Dr. Jack Jordan lay a foundation for understanding what suicide postvention is, what it entails, who it is for, and why it is essential to a comprehensive suicide prevention plan. Jack Jordan, PhD is a clinical psychologist, grief therapist and published researcher in the field.
Early in 2019 I saw a simple tweet thanking the Armed Service Arts Partnership (ASAP) for their help in launching a book of poetry. Intrigued, I first wanted to know who was helping Veterans publish their poetry (and you can learn more about this great organization at www.asapasap.org) and then wanted to learn more about the author of the poetry, Jacquelyn Bengfort. So, I messaged her on Twitter and authors do what authors do, she wrote back. We were lucky to be in Washington DC to record most of this face-to-face with a short segment rerecorded over the phone. Jaci is fascinating and Adam does another great job getting the most from wonderful guest. Enjoy. And understand why saying 'Thank you for your service' is just the start of a long and long-lasting conversation.
The Coalition for Recovery and Innovation in Traumatic Brain Injury Care Across the Lifespan (CRITICAL) was developed in 2017 to advance patient-centered outcomes for adults living with moderate to severe TBI. The coalition consists of survivors of TBI and their caregivers as well as TBI professionals (clinicians, researchers, and advocates). Funded through a Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award, the CRITICAL aimed to 1) develop resources for empowering individuals with cognitive impairments to collaborate on research and 2) develop a national research agenda for improving the lives of those living with moderate to severe TBI. Adam spoke with Principal Investigator of the CRITICAL project, Dr. Nate Mohatt; Professor at Ohio State University and Director of the Ohio Valley Center for Brain Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation, Dr. John Corrigan; and 14-year traumatic brain injury survivor, Julia Terlinchamp. Dr. Mohatt, Dr. Corrigan, and Julia discuss their experiences with the project and give advice for those wishing to participate in patient-centered outcomes research.
Adam Hoffberg connected with this high-powered trio to talk about a study they did comparing safety planning intervention with follow-ups versus usual care of suicidal patients. The study changed policy and procedures at the VA, just saying. Greg gives a brief tutorial on safety planning, Barb talks about why follow-up care is important and Lisa discusses future implications.
Firearms can be one of the most divisive issues facing Americans today. But saving lives is a topic we can all get behind. Lethal means safety is a ripe frontier in suicide prevention with an emerging evidence base and growing support from all sides. Join host Adam Hoffberg as he interviews guest Dr. Michael Anestis from the Suicide and Emotion Dysregulation Lab at the University of Southern Mississippi. Mike tackles common myths about the relationship between firearms and suicide, he provides context on how variants of means safety have played a key role in other public health phenomena, and challenges the counterarguments around means substitution. Dr. Anestis shares his vision of a collaborative, partnership-based path forward, explaining some of the hesitation many have entering into discussions about the role of firearms in suicide, and offers practical ways to approach this delicate issue. Mike brings an informed, even-handed, and optimistic perspective that with the right message we can reach gun owners and effectively prevent firearm suicides.
Transgender veterans appear to experience suicidal thoughts, attempt suicide, and die by suicide at rates that exceed that of the general population and their cisgender veteran peers. Adam Hoffberg spoke with Dr. Raymond Tucker, clinical psychologist and an assistant professor of clinical psychology at Louisiana State University, about his work that attempts to understand this increased risk. Dr. Tucker discusses his recent research regarding gender minority stress (e.g., discrimination, transgender shame, and fear one’s gender identity would be discovered) and their relationship to suicidal thoughts in transgender veterans. Dr. Tucker also discusses his research that indicates access to transition-related medical interventions, such as hormone therapy and gender affirmation surgeries, may protect transgender veterans from thoughts of suicide.
Dr. Lindsey Ann Martin, a medical anthropologist from the Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas discusses with Adam the role of ethnographic methods in the field of implementation science at the recent 2018 D&I conference in Washington, DC. In this podcast, Lindsey talks about how she is using ‘periodic reflections’, a method developed by Drs. Erin Finley (San Antonio VA) and Alison Hamilton (Greater Los Angeles VA), to evaluate a facilitation strategy to implement video telehealth to home (VTH) for rural Veterans. Lindsey describes how ‘periodic reflections’ help her document the ‘emic’ or insider perspectives of external facilitators as they work to overcome barriers and challenges to VTH implementation for the delivery of mental health care. The goal of her evaluation work is to improve our understanding of the VTH facilitation process, and tailor it to the needs of rural sites. Lindsey will be presenting on this work as part of an upcoming Cyberseminar ‘Ethnography as a Catalyst for Innovation in Implementation Science: Dynamic Methods for Complex Interventions’ on January 15 at 3pm EST.
In this podcast Georgia interviews Dr. Chris Corona, post-doctoral fellow at the VISN 2 Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention at the Canandaigua VA Medical Center, to continue the discussion on moral injury. Moral injury is a relatively new concept and our understanding of how it relates to suicide risk is limited. Dr. Corona provides a thorough overview of moral injury and ways providers can assess and treat moral injury as well as sharing findings from current research on moral injury and suicide risk in a population of Veterans with substance use disorders and ideas for future research.
Lena Heilmann lost her sister Danielle to suicide in 2012. In response to this traumatic loss and as a way to honor her sister, Lena transitioned from her role as a college professor to working in suicide prevention. Now, as the Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator with the Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention, Lena merges her lived experience with coordinating a SAMHSA Youth Suicide Prevention Grant. In this podcast, Lena talks about how her grief and loss survivor identity inform her work and her personal mission. Adam and Lena's conversation also addresses the role of upstream prevention efforts, an overview of suicide prevention work in Colorado, the importance of authentic interpersonal relationships, and how to prioritize self-care when working in the suicide prevention field.
This podcast release is coinciding with a HSR&D Cyberseminar "REACH VET: Applying Predictive Analytics to Clinical Practice." The HSR&D website will have a recording of the seminar. Adam speaks with Aaron Eagan, RN MPH, about the use of predictive analytics to identify Veterans at highest-risk of suicide and intervenes clinically to review and enhance care.
Dr. Michael Kauth is a clinical psychologist and has two major roles in the VA. He is Director of the VHA LGBT Health Program – a position shared with Dr. Jillian Shipherd – and he is also Co-Director of the South Central Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center. In addition, Dr. Kauth is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. Recently he received The American Psychological Association, Division 18, James Besyner Award for Lifetime Achievement and later this week he and Dr. Shipherd will be receive the 2018 Achievement Award from the Gay/Lesbian Medical Association in Las Vegas. I have known Michael for almost 15 years beginning when he was the National Educational Director for MIRECC/CoE and I maintained the website. I caught up with Michael to reflect on his work and get his view of the future.
We recorded this podcast to coincide with a series of online trainings that Dr. Monteith is conducting and because this is a particular time in our country where sexual assault is on the minds of many. Lindsey discusses with Adam how we can take a public health approach to sexual violence, one where we can all take responsibility for ending the violence and helping victims heal. Her research of late has taken a qualitative approach where survivors are given a chance to speak in their own voice and make their own choices. She reminds us to listen with compassion and to believe what survivors are telling us.
I read Jess' piece, "Hegemonic Sanity and Suicide" in San Francisco during a rather desultory conference. The essay is a fresh look at a topic we all spend so much time thinking and talking about. For this podcast Jess came into our office at the new Rocky Mountain Regional VAMC, we sat by the window and talked. Jess had a lot of intriguing things to say about how we, society, think of mental health and how our collective inability to understand and accept differences places some of us on the margin and not part of the whole. And once we are on the margin how the credibility of our voices, our experiences are discounted. Tune in to the podcast to understand how listening to those with lived experiences can lead to a place where we trust what we are being told.
I went to Annmarie and Tracey's website, A Voice at the Table, and the banner shows a winter scene, bare trees in the snow. Then I started editing the recording that Adam did of these two wonders during the 2018 Bridging the Divide conference her in Denver. Listening to these two felt like coming in from the cold and sitting at the table in their kitchen. Laughing and talking big subjects and enveloped in warmth and fine company. Listen to this podcast and immerse yourselves in the power of the human spirit.
This podcast is an excellent example of the collaborative relationship between the VA Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program and the VA Suicide Prevention Program in their mutual efforts to prevent both intimate partner violence (IPV) and suicide for those who have served. Dr. Bruce is the National Program Manager for the VHA Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program, which serves Veterans, their partners, and VA staff impacted by intimate partner violence. Dr. Franklin is the Executive Director, Suicide Prevention for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. And Dr. Monteith is a research/clinical psychologist with Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention.
Thank you for MIRECC’s, for your interest in the Sacred Bundle Project. We are a Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) Tribal grantee, with the full name of our project being “Manidookewigashkibjigan Sacred Bundle: R.E.S.P.E.C.T (Respect, Engaging, Supporting, Protecting, Empowering, Connecting, and Teaching) Project. We are primarily focused on youth suicide prevention concerning Native American/Alaskan Native individuals ages 10-24 years old. We work with 12 federally recognized tribes in Michigan and spread the message that everyone is a #HealingHelper.
Adam Hoffberg interviewed Psychology Fellow Dr. Ryan Holliday about the research he is doing related to Military Sexual Trauma. This is a podcast that you could describe to your kids with something like, "Kids, I heard Doc Holliday’s original podcast before he became really big." You talk with Ryan and you just know he knows a lot (about evidence-based treatment, MST and PTSD) and isn't afraid to break it down for you. This podcast is also worth a listen if you want to hear Ryan try to get Adam to laugh. Apparently, it is not that easy.
In this podcast Adam Hoffberg and Dr. Katie Lewis discuss how daily social experiences operate as risk and/or protective factors against suicide. Dr. Lewis is a Research Psychologist at the Austen Riggs Center and a recent AFSP Young Investigator Grant recipient for her research, which utilizes ecological momentary assessment methods to study the social drivers of suicidal ideation in adults contending with complex chronic psychopathology. Adam and Dr. Lewis talk about the importance of studying the daily social experiences of individuals with chronic suicidal ideation, and the challenges (and benefits!) of implementing experience sampling research designs in active clinical settings.
While Adam was interviewing Dr. Elliott-Groves we both watched in awe as she started drawing out the concepts she was so clearly discussing. Emma is a member of the Cowichan Tribe, a First Nation people on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Taking an ecological approach to her work she brings the listener into a world view of community and relationships that helps better plan interventions.
What if we all woke up one day. Listening to Drs. Jessica Ribeiro and Joe Franklin is kind of like that; waking up to a new day and a new way to look at what we have assumed for so long when it comes to risk. Joe electrified the crowd at AAS with a keynote that introduced a new paradigm for suicide research. Later Jess continued the discussion by questioning "What We Risk by Maintaining the Status Quo About Suicide Risk". Here we had the chance to talk with both at once and listen has they riffed on their own work and their work in common.
Adam talks with Dr. Daniel DeBrule about a wholistic approach to suicide prevention. Dan is with the Houston VA and leads a program and research exploring how health and well-being team up for suicide prevention.
Adam sat down with Elvis Walden from StackUp.org. There was a social during AAS for folks involved in social media and these two gamers got to talking and one thing led to another and before you know it they produced a podcasts. What I like about Stack Up is they have built another community where people can get together and support one another. We have done a number of podcasts that feature Veterans finding and building community around a shared activity, this time gaming. And it works.
Marshall is a social media whiz who came to our attention at AAS. Marshall is a Religious Studies Major Randolph-Macon College and took a look at campus Greek Life as it relates to suicide and suicide prevention. Another examination of a community and it's response to suicide.
Dr. Sarra Nazem, Clinical Research Psychologist at Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Veteran Suicide Prevention, hosts her first podcast with Elain de Mello, LICSW, and the Supervisor of Training & Prevention Services for The Connect Program. Sarra will soon be launching The VA Suicide Postvention Resource Center. She wanted to interview Elaine because of Elaine’s work in postvention and specifically with The Connect Program.
Adam sat down with Janet during the 2018 AAS conference this spring in Washington DC. Janet is, amongst other things, the Loss Division Chair for the American Association of Suicidology. Her journey began over 20 years ago when her brother died by suicide. Grief comes in many forms and is expressed many ways. Listen as Janet describes the journey she embarked upon with her own grief; how it lead to helping others on their journey.
Adam caught up with DeQuincy on the 2nd day of the AAS conference in the evening just before a movie showing. We were all a bit spent but game.
DeQuincy is a suicide attempt survivor who has been active in suicide prevention since 1996, including roles in the development of national and state suicide prevention plans. He received his PhD in Clinical Psychology from UCLA, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Rochester focused on public health approaches to suicide prevention. Dr. Lezine is the Co-Chair of the Consumer Survivor Subcommittee for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and a member of the Steering Committee for the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.
He is also a member of the Suicide Attempt Survivors Task Force, of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, and principal author on the Way Forward: Pathways to Hope, Recovery, and Wellness with Insights from Lived Experience which is in press. He has also worked with organizations including Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPAN) USA, Organization for Attempters and Survivors in Interfaith Services (OASSIS), National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), and the Oklahoma Suicide Prevention Council. Dr. Lezine is the author of Eight Stories Up: An Adolescent Chooses Hope Over Suicide (Oxford University Press, 2008) and President & CEO of Prevention Communities, focusing on suicide prevention and mental health promotion.
Suicide is currently the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is an organization with chapters across the country, whose mission is to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.
One of the many programs sponsored by AFSP is the Survivor Outreach Program, which provides support to those who have recently lost a loved one to suicide. The program, available in-person, by phone, or video call, connects recent survivors of suicide loss with trained loss survivors who’ve had time to heal, know what these people are going through, and can help them on their way.
Here to talk about the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the Survivor Outreach Program, are Doreen Marshall, who is AFSP’s Vice President of Programs, and Shannon Donnick, Manager of AFSP’s Loss and Healing Programs.
International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day takes place on November 17, 2018. Known as Survivor Day, the event, which is sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, is the one day a year when people affected by suicide loss gather around the world at events in their local communities to find comfort and gain understanding as they share stories of healing and hope. In 2017, there were close to 400 Survivor Day events in more than 20 countries.
Here to talk with us about Survivor Day, and how people can heal from a suicide loss, are Doreen Marshall, who is AFSP’s Vice President of Programs, and Brandon English, Director of AFSP’s Loss and Healing Programs.
In this episode Adam has a great talk with Dr. Bridget Matarazzo about the VA Suicide Risk Management Consultation Program. The program has recently expanded so that anyone working with a Veteran and concerned about suicide can contact them for a free consultation. Bridget discusses the idea behind the service and the great team (Hal S. Wortzel, MD, Sarra Nazem, Ph.D., Georgia Gerard, LCSW, Kaily A. Cannizzaro, PsyD, and Peter Gutierrez, Ph.D.) that provides the consultation.
Curious about the Veterans Crisis Line? Join us for an in-depth conversation with VCL Director Matt Miller about its purpose, history, and what the future holds. Matt takes us on a journey from VCL's initial launch in 2007, to right now, for the ribbon-cutting of the 3rd call center in Topeka, Kansas. We talk about how VCL has expanded to meet increasing demand, responding to over 2000 calls each day. Matt tells us about the services VCL offers, who can use them, and how responders are trained to support Veterans and their loved ones. He also walks us through what happens when someone reaches out to the VCL, and explains the follow-up process connecting Veterans with their local VA Suicide Prevention Coordinator. Matt demystifies the crisis line experience and encourages everyone to be familiar with how to contact the VCL before a crisis happens, including saving the number 1-800-273-8255 press 1 into your phone. Tune in to learn about the latest technological advances being pioneered by the VCL, as well as research and continuous quality improvement underway.
In this episode Georgia Gerard continues her exploration of spirituality and moral injury as she discusses the Warrior to Soul Mate Program with Clyde Angel, Chief, Chaplain Service and National Coordinator for the Warrior to Soul Mate Program at Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, Indiana. The Warrior to Soul Mate Program is based on a program created by the nonprofit PAIRS Foundation (Practical Application of Intimate Relationship Skills). Clyde and Georgia take a deep dive into relationships for returning warriors and a method to heal them.
Adam discusses the new website www.treatmentworksforvets.org with Dr. Brad Karlin. The website has two purposes. The first is to introduce Veterans to the idea of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies, especially for insomnia and depression (others will be added later). Evidence-Based Psychotherapies (EBP) are treatments that have been shown to work; they have been tested and work. The other part of the website is for clinicians and focuses on Shared Decision Making, a process in which the provider sits down with the person interested in getting treatment and together they decide on what EBP is best for the individual. Best of all the website is free and open to everyone - Veteran and non-Veteran!
This podcast is the beginning of a new occasional series where we interview Masters in Suicide Prevention.
Jerry Reed, PhD, MSW, Education Development Center’s Senior Vice President for Practice Leadership and Lead for the U.S. Division’s Suicide, Violence, and Injury Prevention Portfolio, shares his professional journey from the early days of his career experience to his current position of being a well-known leader and expert in the suicide, violence, and injury prevention fields.
Dr. Reed shares the background behind development of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP) and the launch of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention that ranged from the 1990s to today. Dr. Reed speaks to the importance of how sharing stories of personal loss coupled with action requests truly moved forward national policy on suicide prevention and how these stories of individuals with personal lived experience with ideation and attempts continue to advance our policy and practice today.
Dr. Reed then explores ways to advance the 2012 revised NSSP, and thus reduce suicide, to include practical examples of what governments; businesses and employers; health care systems, injurers, and clinicians; schools, colleges, and universities; non-profit, community- and faith-based organizations; and individuals and families can do. The Zero Suicide initiative is explored as a very specific example for advancing Goal 8: Promote suicide prevention as a core component of health care services.
Finally, Dr. Reed provided an overview of the major priorities of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention in effort to advance the NSSP, particularly to reduce the national suicide rate by 20% by 2025. A national coordinated response with additional resources are needed to attain that goal. We should celebrate the progress and continue to intentionally focus on this issue with time and resources such that eventually any person can use any door to access services when in a time of distress.
Joe interviews Dr. Legarreta about the work she and her colleagues at the Salt Lake City office of Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention are doing regarding suicide prevention and chronic pain. In her latest paper Margaret looks at how catastrophic thinking patterns can increase suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Margaret explores the need to treat the mind/body connection in your clinical work.
In this podcast Adam Hoffberg interviews Dr. Bryann DeBeer, a suicide prevention researcher and clinical research psychologist at the VA VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, and an Assistant Professor at Texas A&M Health Science Center. Dr. DeBeer discusses her interesting research which examines risk factors for suicide in Veterans. Her work also focuses on translating these findings into new actionable suicide prevention techniques. Adam and Dr. DeBeer talk about how these findings fit into clinical practice in order to help clinicians improve their work with clients at risk for suicide.
What is it about Lethal Means Safety (LMS) that makes a difference in suicide prevention? LMS is about increasing the distance between thoughts of suicide and action. In this week’s episode, we are joined by Dr. Joseph Simonetti, MD, MPH, physician and suicide prevention researcher with the Rocky Mountain MIRECC. Dr. Simonetti guides us through the fundamentals of lethal means safety, why it’s important, and provides suggestions on how to ensure that conversations about lethal means safety are Veteran-centered.
We focus specifically on firearms considering their disproportionate lethality and that firearm-related injuries account for more than 2/3 of Veteran suicides (more than in the general US population). During high-risk periods, temporary off-site storage of firearms may be the safest option by allowing an individual the opportunity to ride out an emotional crisis, connect with other resources, and for other evidence-based treatments to take effect. Dr. Simonetti dispels common misconceptions about discussing firearm safety in the context of collaborative mental health care. His poignant anecdote about what he does to help suicidal Veteran patients with easy access to loaded guns reminds us why lethal means safety is critical for effective suicide safe care.
One-on-one consultation at no charge for VA and Community Providers who serve Veterans with specific questions about Suicide Risk Management.
Speak directly with staff psychologists and physicians about:
- Assessment
- Conceptualizing and Stratifying Suicide Risk
- Lethal Means Safety Counseling
- Treatment Engagement
- Evidence-based Resources for Suicide Risk Management (e.g., how to best mitigate risk in “x” populations)
- Postvention
PsychArmor Institute’s FREE online course Helping Others Hold On provides tools and tips to recognize, understand, and combat suicidal feelings in Veterans. Course leaders Dr. Craig J. Bryan, Executive Director of the National Center for Veteran Studies at The University of Utah, and Carie Rodgers, Ph.D., Education Director of PsychArmor Institute provide an overview and discuss the coded language of suicide, the importance of sleep, and crisis response planning.
In honor of Transgender Awareness Month, Dr. Shelby Scott, Denver VA Clinical Psychologist and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Veteran Care Coordinator, spoke with Adam Hoffberg at the Denver VA Rocky Mountain MIRECC to provide a thorough introduction to this topic. Dr. Scott discusses specific clinical recommendations that can improve the way all VA providers serve our transgender Veterans, medical and mental health services provided by the VA, and how to get connected to additional VA and community resources!
This is the first part of a second trilogy on Zero Suicide. Sarah Brummett is the Director of the Office of Suicide Prevention for the State of Colorado. Sarah discusses how the Zero Suicide system approach looks when applied to a whole state. It is amazing.
From the 2017 Bridging the Divide Conference we had a short conversation with Richard T. McKeon, Ph.D., M.P.H., Chief of the Suicide Prevention Branch for SAMHSA.
At the Bridging the Divide Conference we chatted with Ursula Whiteside and she told us why Now Means Now and how caring messages can go such a long, long way
Live Through This #Stay...captured through the art, the lens, the stories of our lived experience. Adam caught up with Dese'Rae earlier this summer and this conversation is the result. I was listening in on the other line and she blew me away with her everything-ness. Adam would ask her about how she came up with this or that idea and Des would just say something like, "I got bored one day so I wrote this program/created this movie/started this movement." Yes, of course you did and we all benefited.
Sometimes it can feel like making real progress in mental health (and perhaps especially suicide prevention) is an overwhelming, sometimes impossible task. How can we counter the “bigness” of the job? Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, founder of Give an Hour, gives this advice: Go Simple. Offer simple actions, like donating an hour weekly. Play to individual’s strengths, and build big change by harnessing the collective power of many individual’s “small” contributions. Give an Hour’s Campaign to Change Direction use this same strategy. “The Five Signs” help create a common language, and everyday way to talk about mental health in a way all people can relate. In this podcast, Barbara talks about some of the ways Give an Hour and Campaign to Change Direction gives individuals, workplaces, cities and states tools to make incremental changes that lead to big, positive change. Give an Hour began with a simple idea (provide free mental health services to Veterans, service members, and their families). But though its origins and methods may be simple, its goal is to bring about a fundamental shift: empower each of us to recognize and respond to emotional/mental suffering just as knowledgably and compassionately as physical.
Earlier this summer I called Dave and hit the record button. What followed was a chance to look forward into the future of suicide prevention based on 30 years of work and research in our chosen field of suicide prevention. Listening to Dave you can get the sense that we are on the cusp of dramatic changes in how we treat the individuals in our care.
We caught up with Leah Harris at the 2017 Bridging the Divide: Suicide Awareness and Prevention Summit in Denver earlier this spring. Her keynote address was titled "How I Went from Wanting to Die to Loving Life: A Resilience Journey." We continued the conversation in this summertime length podcast.
Adam Hoffberg discusses Chronic Pain with colleagues from the VA VISN 16 South Central MIRECC. Drs. Aruna Gottumukkala and Paul Sloan created a timely resource called the "Pocket Guide for Clinicians for Management of Chronic Pain." With the opiod epidemic raging in the background this podcast is ever so timely.
Melissa continues her community reintegration series with Amanda Burke from Team Rubicon. The Team Rubicon message is "Disasters are our business. Veterans are our passion." And you'll hear it in Amanda's voice as she describes her own journey and her continuing passion.
Meet Matt (human) and James (canine), who became friends through shared service - and maybe a little bit of fate. When Matt returned home to the States, after a stay at Walter Reed, he joined Warrior Canine Connection only reluctantly. In this interview, Matt shares his experience working through to the other side of TBI and PTSD, and the role James plays. As both a trainer, helping to prepare canines to work with other warriors, and having been paired with a canine of his own, Matt offers a unique and personal perspective about re-connecting to others and to self. Sometimes, the nudge to reengage and potentially to participate fully in further treatment may come from an unexpected source like a cold, wet (non-human) nose. Please join us for this podcast as Matt eloquently describes his friendship and work with James, and how Love Heals.
Recorded during the annual Bridging the Divide Conference put on each year by the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Colorado we caught up with Sally Spencer-Thomas. Sally is doing exciting work bringing suicide prevention programs to the construction industry. Find out about her work and why this work with this population is important and timely.
Dr. Ahmendani joined the Center for Health Policy and Health Services Research at Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) in 2010. The Center for Health Services Research investigates ways to improve the quality, efficiency and equity of health care. This podcast discusses some of the the history of the zero suicide initiative and Henry Ford Health System, including recent research findings on suicide prevention in health systems.
Adam caught up with Julie at the AAS 2017 conference in Phoenix to chat about Zero Suicide. Julie is the Director of Health and Behavioral Health Initiatives at the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC). Dr. Goldstein Grumet provides strategic direction to improve the effectiveness of behavioral health, clinical care, and primary care providers to recognize and respond to suicide emergencies. She oversees the Zero Suicide initiative for SPRC, supporting the work of state and health care leaders who are implementing system-wide approaches to suicide prevention.
Tony Pisani, Ph.D. (University of Rochester Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide) discusses his model for suicide safer care, prevention-oriented risk formulation, and the need for a common framework for assessing, communicating, and responding to suicide risk for clinicians, patients, and the medical record. Dr. Pisani will be releasing new materials and training opportunities soon. To be notified when updates are available, please visit tonypisani.info.