GREENSBORO, N.C. — A North Carolina organization is doing its part to lower the suicide rate among veterans in North Carolina.
Veterans Services of the Carolinas is a faith-based nonprofit that provides housing and employment services for veterans and their families. Director Brandon Wilson said mental health is also one of the organization's top services.
“This past spring the VA made suicide prevention among veterans their number one clinical priority,” Wilson said. “Right now, we know that 17 veterans a day are taking their lives across this nation. That equates to about four a week in North Carolina alone.”
The group recently received the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. The grant will allow other organizations like churches, businesses, and nonprofits in the community to be a part of the solution to mitigating suicide across North Carolina.
“What we anticipate, is doing a twofold strategy where one is going to be providing education and training to the community and at zero cost to the community,” Wilson said. “Some of these modalities look like Mental Health First Aid, Question Persuade Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention Training, S.A.V.E Suicide Prevention Training.”
Wilson said the grant will also help create crisis response teams made up of community members and Veterans Services of the Carolinas staff.
“The VA can help you with your benefits, but the community helps you with what you need,” Wilson said. “We need to do a better job with our veterans entering back into the civilian sectors.”
Wilson said Veterans Services of the Carolinas hopes this grant will help to bring awareness and break stigmas surrounding mental health. Organizations interested in being a partner can visit the Veterans Services of the Carolinas website or call 855-962-8387.