First Of Six Suicide Prevention Forums Set For Tuesday, April 12

The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs will hold its first of six Suicide Prevention Forums in Appleton on Tuesday, April 12 at Fox Valley Technical College from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The forum, “Combating Veteran Suicide,” will feature experts in the field of suicide prevention and mental health.

“Every day in our nation, veterans are losing their lives to suicide,” said WDVA Secretary Mary Kolar. “These forums are a chance to discuss best practices, provide vital tools, and garner ideas to better address the growing mental health crises present in our veteran community. For those working closely with veterans, having access to the best information on suicide prevention could save a life.”

The forum in Appleton will feature expert speakers, breakout sessions with an emphasis on harm reduction, women veterans issues, homelessness, and military sexual trauma, as well as trainings on “Question, Persuade, Refer” suicide prevention and de-escalation.

The featured speakers are Jesse Cuff, a US Army Reserve Veteran and Waupaca County Veterans Service Officer discussing services for rural veterans, and Dr. Edward Landreth, the Chief Mental Health Officer for Veteran Integrated Service Network 12 where he oversees of all veteran mental health, suicide prevention and homeless operations for 8 VA Medical Centers and 43 Community Based Outpatient Centers spanning Northwestern Indiana, most of Illinois, nearly all of Wisconsin and Michigan’s upper peninsula.

The remaining forums are scheduled for April 27 in La Crosse, May 10 in Lac du Flambeau, focusing specifically on the needs of Tribal veterans, May 18 in Wausau, June 13 in the Milwaukee area, and a final one in Madison, with a date and venue being finalized soon. Visit wisvets.com for more information.