Suicides occur across every segment of the force and Army leadership is committed to reversing the trend of increasing suicidal behavior. Tank Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) Life Cycle Material Command (LCMC) Suicide Awareness Response Center (SARC) ensures our Soldiers and Department of the Army (DA) Civilians are informed and educated on the risk factors and warning signs of suicide as well as how to provide assistance and/or intervention. TACOM LCMC SARC provides the resources needed to assist soldiers and DA Civilians with identifying warning signs of suicide. These resources include but not limited to a National suicide Prevention lifeline, Military Crisis Line, and Army Strong ACE Cards. Ace Cards give instructions on how to
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- Escort to the chain of command, a chaplain, a behavioral health professional, or primary care provider.
TACOM LCMC SARC office strives to also help Army leaders at all levels learn to be engaged in fostering an environment to reduce the stigma associated with seeking mental health care.
My role with-in the TACOM LCMC SARC office was to review the 2020 Army Strategy for Suicide Prevention and create a Power Point presentation for TACOM leaders to use during Suicide prevention training. The 2020 Army Strategy for Suicide Prevention is broken into four strategic directions:
• Strategic Direction 1, Healthy and Empowered Individuals, Families, and Communities.
• Strategic Direction 2: Clinical and Community Support Services.
• Strategic Direction 3: Treatment and Recovery Services.
• Strategic Direction 4: Surveillance, Research, and Evaluation
My contribution focused on Intervention. Individuals in this phase have signaled that they are at increased risk and require institutional intervention. The duration of this phase is dependent on the individual’s response to intervention. This phase aligns best with the National Strategy’s “Selective” prevention element. I created scenarios (using a templates released by the SARC office) for leaders to read to their soldiers and DA Civilians. The goal of these scenarios was to teach the recipients to identify the warning signs of suicide and when to implement ACE Card directions as noted …show more content…
Soldiers are trained from boat camp that accomplishing the mission is sometimes more important than life itself. Some veterans have issues adjusting back to civilian life and integrating back into the civilian culture. Instead of having help available the Army should require soldiers and veterans alike to attend sessions with a behavioral health professional. Until the US Department of the Veteran Affairs is funded properly to provide this service to all veterans suicides will continue to rise.
The Army is using a three event integrated approach, Prevention, Intervention and Postvention:
Prevention. Individuals in this area are perceived as unaffected by stressors and demonstrate no indicators of increased risk. The Army’s objective is to provide training and support to keep all members of the Army Family in this phase as much as possible. This phase aligns with the National Strategy’s “Universal” prevention element.
Intervention. Individuals in this phase have signaled that they are at increased risk and require institutional intervention. The duration of this phase is dependent on the individual’s response to intervention. This phase aligns best with the National Strategy’s “Selective” prevention
- Escort to the chain of command, a chaplain, a behavioral health professional, or primary care provider.
TACOM LCMC SARC office strives to also help Army leaders at all levels learn to be engaged in fostering an environment to reduce the stigma associated with seeking mental health care.
My role with-in the TACOM LCMC SARC office was to review the 2020 Army Strategy for Suicide Prevention and create a Power Point presentation for TACOM leaders to use during Suicide prevention training. The 2020 Army Strategy for Suicide Prevention is broken into four strategic directions:
• Strategic Direction 1, Healthy and Empowered Individuals, Families, and Communities.
• Strategic Direction 2: Clinical and Community Support Services.
• Strategic Direction 3: Treatment and Recovery Services.
• Strategic Direction 4: Surveillance, Research, and Evaluation
My contribution focused on Intervention. Individuals in this phase have signaled that they are at increased risk and require institutional intervention. The duration of this phase is dependent on the individual’s response to intervention. This phase aligns best with the National Strategy’s “Selective” prevention element. I created scenarios (using a templates released by the SARC office) for leaders to read to their soldiers and DA Civilians. The goal of these scenarios was to teach the recipients to identify the warning signs of suicide and when to implement ACE Card directions as noted …show more content…
Soldiers are trained from boat camp that accomplishing the mission is sometimes more important than life itself. Some veterans have issues adjusting back to civilian life and integrating back into the civilian culture. Instead of having help available the Army should require soldiers and veterans alike to attend sessions with a behavioral health professional. Until the US Department of the Veteran Affairs is funded properly to provide this service to all veterans suicides will continue to rise.
The Army is using a three event integrated approach, Prevention, Intervention and Postvention:
Prevention. Individuals in this area are perceived as unaffected by stressors and demonstrate no indicators of increased risk. The Army’s objective is to provide training and support to keep all members of the Army Family in this phase as much as possible. This phase aligns with the National Strategy’s “Universal” prevention element.
Intervention. Individuals in this phase have signaled that they are at increased risk and require institutional intervention. The duration of this phase is dependent on the individual’s response to intervention. This phase aligns best with the National Strategy’s “Selective” prevention