September is National Suicide Prevention Month to raise awareness and knowledge about an issue that unfortunately affects too many people across the country.
In observance of National Suicide Prevention Month, Walter Reed will host a Heart of Hope and Resource Fair on September 9 and 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the America Lobby (Building 19, 1st floor). In addition, Walter Reed will offer the following suicide prevention training for staff/providers:
• The SafeTALK workshop, a half-day training focusing on the four basic steps of suicide prevention to create a life-saving connection, will be held September 4 and 25 in Building 85T, second floor, Room C209.
• Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), a two-day training that provides participants with information on identifying people at risk for suicide and tips for interventions to help them stay safe, will be held September 17-18 and November 12-13 in Building 85T, second floor, Room C209.
• An additional suicide prevention training for employees (hosted by Columbia University) will be held on September 24 (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) in the Memorial Auditorium.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is one of the leading causes of death and affects people of all ages. It is a major public health problem that not only takes the victim’s life, but can also have long-term effects on family, friends and community.
Walter Reed’s Directorate of Behavioral Health and the Department of Pastoral Care provide services to support people with problems. The Directorate of Behavioral Health includes psychiatry, psychology and social work. Army Col. (Dr.) Aniceto Navarro, the director of the directorate, speaks about the holistic benefits of behavioral health care at Walter Reed. “There are now behavioral health providers in various clinics who work hand-in-hand with medical and surgical staff to help patients with challenges presented by new diagnoses,” he explained.
The Department of Chaplaincy, a strong team of military chaplains, enlisted religious program specialists, and commissioned religious professionals from various faiths, provides spiritual care and support to patients, employees, military personnel, and their families at Walter Reed Hospital with the goal of developing and strengthening personal and spiritual resilience in the face of life’s many challenges.
In addition to religious services and pastoral care, Pastoral Care offers a variety of “life skills” trainings and workshops, including suicide education and suicide prevention. Through the Navy’s Chaplains Religious Enrichment Development Operation (CREDO), military chaplains and religious program specialists receive training to deliver suicide prevention and intervention workshops known as SafeTALK and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), which are designed to help participants better recognize and help those who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts.
Division Officer of the DPC and U.S. Navy Chaplain (Lt.) Luis Martinez explained that SafeTALK is a half-day interactive training that focuses on “suicide alert” and teaches participants how to better identify people at risk and provide them with other intervention options, while ASIST is an intensive two-day training program that teaches participants how to intervene with people at risk for suicide.
Both SafeTALK and ASIST teach practical skills based on evidence-based research. For example, if you notice that a person’s behavior is different from their normal behavior (e.g., withdrawal, attitude change, giving away possessions, etc.), the person may consciously or unconsciously be prompting you to ask them if they are considering suicide. Do you care enough to ask, “Are you thinking about suicide?”
“Believe it or not, it seems that the hardest thing for someone to do is ask this very important question directly and explicitly,” said U.S. Navy Chaplain (Capt.) Chris Hester, director of chaplaincy. “Most people avoid asking directly about suicide, which can mean they really don’t want to know the answer. Asking the question directly and without judgment gives the person at risk permission to discuss this sensitive topic and also shows that you are willing to listen.” SafeTALK and ASIST teach participants effective ways to ask the question about suicide directly and to do so tactfully so it doesn’t seem abrupt.
Hester and Martinez pointed out that everyone experiences difficult times and great losses, so anyone can be at risk of suicide. It is important that everyone, regardless of rank or pay grade, be on guard against suicide, they added.
Hester also mentioned the importance of “spiritual readiness” or “spiritual fitness” for the military, pointing out that there is a large body of data and evidence-based research indicating that religion and spirituality can have a positive impact on mental and physical health, including reducing suicide rates within the ranks.
Fellows in the Social Work Fellowship Program are responsible for ensuring staff training is conducted by Columbia University at Walter Reed. The Columbia Suicide Severity Risk Scale (CSSRS) is a widely used tool for assessing suicide risk.
In addition, the sociology and psychiatry fellows are planning the annual Walter Reed Suicide Awareness Labyrinth Walk. The walk encourages participants to reflect as they walk through the labyrinth in the courtyard of the America Bldg., pick up a rock, write a message or the name of a suicide victim on the rock, and then put it back down to symbolically process grief and inspire hope.
For more information about pastoral care at Walter Reed, call 301-295-1510. For behavioral health information, call the Adult Behavioral Health Outpatient Clinic at 301-295-0500 or the Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Outpatient Clinic at 301-295-0576.
IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS IN A CRISIS:
Call, text, or chat the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988lifeline.org. The Lifeline provides free, confidential support 24/7 across the United States to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.
In life-threatening situations, call 911.
For more information on suicide prevention, visit www.nimh.nih.gov/suicideprevention or www.bethe1to.com