On August 2nd, 2019, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the Service Member, Veterans, and Military Family Technical Assistance Center, and the El Paso County SMVF Suicide Prevention Coalition led a community conversation regarding the strategies of the Colorado National Collaborative and the Governor's Challenge to Prevent SMVF Suicide.

1. El Paso County
Suicide Prevention Community Conversation:
Preventing Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans,
and their Families
Friday August 2, 2019
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

2. 9:00-9:15- Brief intro from Governor’s Challenge
9:15-9:45- Overview and Why We’ve Gathered
9:45-10:30 Small Group Discussions
10:30-11:00 Networking Break
11:00-11:30 Small Group Share outs
11:30-12:00 Next Steps
AGENDA
OVERVIEW

3. Colorado Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide
Among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families
Nationwide Governor’s Challenge Initiative:
In an effort to meaningfully implement the 2018-2028 National Strategy for the Prevention of Veteran Suicide, the United States
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has teamed up with the Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to convene and support state interagency leaders in
Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire, Texas, and Virginia.
Who we are:
The Colorado Governor’s Challenge is a group of committed organizations and individuals collaborating towards the shared goal of
reducing the impact of suicide and suicide attempts among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families.
Mission:
The Colorado Governor’s Challenge is working to ensure that Service Members, Veterans, and their families have access to responsive
healthcare, including mental and behavioral health services; have the social support to lead meaningful and satisfying lives; are
connected to their community; that any individual in this population who has thoughts of suicide, has attempted suicide, and/or has
experienced suicide loss is supported across the continuum; and finally that no Service Member, Veteran or family member dies by
suicide.
In working towards this mission, the Colorado Governor’s Challenge will prioritize data-driven decision-making, will leverage existing
infrastructure and collaborative partnerships, will work to infuse Veteran/military culture into current suicide prevention strategies, and
will emphasize the support needed for local communities engaged in prevention.

4. Setting the Stage

5. Angela Wright, Policy
Research Associates,
Inc.
SAMHSA
SMVF TA
Center

6. Colorado-
National
Collaborative
El Paso
County!
Colorado
Governor’s
Challenge
Suicide
Prevention
Commission
Office of
Suicide
Prevention
Suicide Prevention in Colorado

7. Colorado-National Collaborative is a
partnership of local, state and national scientists and
public health professionals working with health and social
service agencies, nonprofit organizations, government
agencies, businesses, academic organizations and
Colorado residents to identify, promote and implement
successful state- and community-based strategies for
suicide prevention in Colorado.

8. State Partners National Partners
• Colorado Department of Public
Health and Environment/ Office
of Suicide Prevention
• Suicide Prevention Commission
• Rocky Mountain Mental Illness
Research, Education and
Clinical Center at the Denver
Veterans Administration Center
• Governor’s Office
• CO Behavioral Healthcare
Council
• University of CO Depression
Center
• University of CO Hospital
• Colorado Governor’s Challenge
● Injury Control Research
Center for Suicide
Prevention
● Education Development
Center (Suicide Prevention
Resource Center)
● American Foundation for
Suicide Prevention
● Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention
● Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services
Administration
● National Action Alliance

9. County
Partners
El Paso
La Plata
Larimer
Mesa
Montezuma
Pueblo

10. Agreement on
Core Strategies

11. Colorado
Governor’s
Challenge
Team
Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention
Department of Military and Veterans
Affairs
Family Care Center- Colorado Springs
Colorado Suicide Prevention Commission
Sturm Center
Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council
Colorado Office of Behavioral Health
Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic
Rocky Mountain MIRECC
VA - Eastern Colorado, VISN, VEO
Colorado Judicial Department
United Veterans Coalition
Governor’s Office
And more!

12. DC
Academies
Learning from other
states and experts to
refine strategies
Work
groups
Identifying initial
action plans and next
steps
Local leader
meetings
Feedback from
communities and boots
on the ground
Colorado Governor’s Challenge

13. INITIAL
PRIORITIES
1.Improving Access to
Responsive Care
2. Lethal Means Safety
3. Peer Support
4. Resource Collaboration
and Collection

14. Improving
Access to
Responsive
care
Phase 1- Increase care
responsivity to SMVF clients
by supporting military
competency among
Community Mental Health
Centers by offering free
training through existing
networks, contracts, and
connections.
Phase 2- Expanding to other
social service organizations
(housing, employment, etc)

15. Lethal Means
Safety
Partner with the firearms
community to support
shared messaging for safety
by:
1. Including Veterans Crisis
Line on all Colorado Gun
Shop Project Materials
and
2. Supporting the
development and
dissemination of
veteran-friendly firearm
suicide prevention
video.

16. Peer Support
Phase 1-Deploying suicide
prevention awareness
training for community
members and organizations
supporting SMVF.
Phase 2- Developing and
supporting workforce of
Veterans with lived
experience serving as peer
support specialists within
health care organizations.

17. Resources
and
Partnership
Collaboration
Phase 1- Ensure that
statewide resource listings
through Colorado Crisis
Services and 211 have
Veteran and community-
specific resources.
Phase 2- Support the
development of interactive,
dynamic online portal.

18. El Paso County

19. Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention
Data: 2005-2017
DEFINING THE PROBLEM
35
17
27 31 37
28 24
46 44
28
48
50 39
0
20
40
60
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
El Paso County Veteran Suicides
Veteran Suicides Linear (Veteran Suicides)
116
75
102
74
90
35
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
65+
55-64
45-54
35-44
25-34
20-24
El Paso County Veteran Suicide by
age
2004-2017
# Suicide by age
191
Additional Demographics:
Veterans who die by suicide in El
Paso County are likely to be:
• Male (94%)
• Caucasian (85%)
• Married (53%)
• Over 55 Years Old (38%)
• Use Firearms as a method
(68%)
• Have a current depressed mood
(60%) and physical health
problems (50%)
• Have Alcohol (31%) and
Opiates (15%) in their system
Historical trends tell us that there is a veteran death by suicide every ten days in El
Paso County

20. Access to
Care
Lethal
Means
Postvention
At Risk
Population
s
Youth
Young Adults
Older
Adults
LGBTQ
SMVF
Disable
d
El Paso County Suicide Prevention Task Force
1. Define The
Problem
2. Identify Risk
and Protective
Factors
3. Develop and
Implement
Strategies
4. Ensure
Widest
Dissemination
Connectednes
s
Education and
Awareness
Economic Stability
Colorado
National
Collaborative
El Paso County
Suicide
Prevention Task
Force
El Paso County
SMVF Suicide
Prevention
Coalition
5. Evaluate and
Refine

21. Survey Respondents: Organizational Characteristics

22. 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Resources Available in El Paso County
Most Resources Least Resources
Access to
Care
Lethal
Means
Safety
Postvention
Connectedness Education and
Awareness
Economic Stability
Peer Norm
Programs
Community
Engagement
Employment
Housing
Financial Security
Community
Education
Gatekeeper
Training
Med. Professional
Education
Safe Firearm
Storage
Safe Medication
Storage
Suicide Hotspots
Provide Competent
Care
Provider Shortage
Reduce Barriers To
Care
Provide
Bereavement
Support
Support for Attempt
Survivors
Survey Respondents: Most and Least Resources in El Paso County

23. What do you personally think is the most important topic that needs to be discussed regarding
SMVF suicide in El Paso County?
Barriers to
strengthening
protective factors for
SMVF.
• Stigma Associated With Seeking Care
• PTSD/TBI
• Reducing Stigma by providing more community forums for discussion and support
• community mental health services outside of business hours. CARE Team and
Crisis Intervention programs are limited in times where crisis may happen.
• Access to care and stigma reduction
• Access to Care
Access to
Care
Lethal Means Safety
Connectedness
Education
Economic Stability
Postvention
• Community connections
• Finding veterans, reaching veterans, engaging veterans
• What keeps our military community from seeking help?
• How to better communicate with/engage veterans of different demographics;
getting veterans to show up
• Housing
• Self-empowerment and self identification- a job

24. To reduce SMVF suicide in El Paso County, we need to:
Access to
Care
Lethal Means Safety
Connectedness
Education
Economic Stability
Postvention
• Have a community approach
• Help them to feel supported, connected and valued
• Work together more collaboratively in engaging veterans to promote community connectedness
• Increase connections with support systems for the SMVF
• Help with behavioral health issues
• Increase access (insurance barriers, culturally competent providers, affordable care), and
better understand effective approaches.
• increase access to quality, specialized, and culturally competent care
• Additionally, we need more providers/service options for those in mental health crisis to
include peer mentor options.
• Provide more access to care
• Reduce barriers in place, reduce opiate/substance addiction, and continue reducing stigma
• Track ALL transitioning veterans, not just those signed up for VA benefits. Lots of folks
slip through the cracks.
• Reduce Stigma by providing more community forums for discussion and support
• . Train the general community to better understand the signs and how to help.
• Find Housing

25. 1. Improving Access to Responsive Care
Phase 1- Increase care responsivity to SMVF clients by supporting military competency among Community
Mental Health Centers by offering free training through existing networks, contracts, and connections.
Phase 2- Expanding to other social service organizations (housing, employment, etc)
2. Lethal Means Safety
Partner with the firearms community to support shared messaging for safety by:
- Including Veterans Crisis Line on all Colorado Gun Shop Project Materials and
- Supporting the development and dissemination of veteran-friendly firearm suicide prevention video
3. Peer Support
Phase 1-Deploying suicide prevention awareness training for community members and organizations
supporting SMVF.
Phase 2- Developing and supporting workforce of Veterans with lived experience serving as peer support
specialists within health care organizations.
4. Resources and Partnership Collaboration
Phase 1- Ensure that statewide resource listings through Colorado Crisis Services and 211 have Veteran and
community-specific resources.
Phase 2- Support the development of interactive, dynamic online portal.
Small Group Discussions- Reminder of Strategies

26. Networking
Break

27. Small Group
Report Outs
What is already happening in
the community?
What barriers exist?
What does the community
need?

28. Future
Collaboration,
Partners to
Engage, and
Touch Points

29. More questions?
Sarah Brummett
sarah.brummett@state.co.us
THANKS!