Following President Biden’s proclamation recognizing November as National Veterans and Military Families Month, the White House released Reducing Military And Veteran Suicide: Advancing A Comprehensive, Cross-Sector, Evidence-Informed Public Health Strategy. This strategy is composed of five priority goals designed to reduce suicide among service members, Veterans, and their family members:

• Priority Goal 1: Improve Lethal Means Safety
• Priority Goal 2: Enhance Crisis Care and Facilitate Care Transitions
• Priority Goal 3: Increase Access to and Delivery of Effective Care
• Priority Goal 4: Address Upstream Risk and Protective Factors
• Priority Goal 5: Increase Research Coordination, Data Sharing, and Evaluation Efforts

Through interdepartmental collaboration, SAMHSA and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have supported SAMHSA’s Service Members, Veterans, and their Families Technical Assistance Center (SMVF TA Center) to provide technical assistance and training to states and communities across our nation through several initiatives, including the Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among SMVF and Crisis Intercept Mapping to Prevent Suicide for SMVF. These efforts, in conjunction with a variety of SMVF TA Center activities, provide support to states, territories, and communities that align with the priority goals outlined in President Biden’s suicide prevention strategy.

To view the fact sheet, click here.