Cohen Veterans Network Extends Commitment to Combat Suicide Among Veterans Through New Campaign

STAMFORD, Conn., Sept. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Cohen Veterans Network, a national not for profit philanthropic organization, has extended its commitment to saving lives, saving families, and saving futures with a robust series of activities during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.

CVN has treated more than 7,500 clients since its public launch in April 2016. The network has learned first-hand that many clients screen positive at intake for elevated risk for suicide, so we must ensure our clinicians are well-trained to assess for and reduce risk to save lives. The VA has indicated that 14 of the reported 20 veteran suicides per day were not seen in their system.

"Preventing suicide is a top priority for the Cohen Veterans Network ? every single day of the year. We have a substantial training program designed to prepare our clinicians to offer the highest-quality of care to our veterans and family members," said Dr. Anthony Hassan, President & CEO of CVN. "This month, we are thrilled to offer a weekly series to the public, designed to help prevent suicide in our communities."

The entire series, running each Thursday this month, is co-presented along with the Center for Deployment Psychology. CDP provides training to military and civilian behavioral health professionals to deliver high-quality, culturally-sensitive, evidence-based behavioral health services.

The webinars began yesterday with a session on Suicide Survivorship: applying the TAPS best-practice model to support military families, veterans and clinicians. This unit is being given by the nationally-recognized Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.

"Everyone can play a role in preventing suicide, not just trained clinicians," said Dr. Caitlin Thompson, CVN Vice President for Community Partnerships. "The public should all feel some responsibility to take action when they see the signs, and potentially save a life."

Thompson is featured in a video series offering suggestions on how the general public can take action when someone they know demonstrates troubling behavior.

The rest of the online training series will feature topics such as Suicide Prevention for Veterans with Other Than Honorable Discharges, Achieving the Promise of Suicidality Interventions, and Lethal Means Safety Counseling to Reduce Suicide Risk.

Staff members from each of the 10 Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinics are actively taking part in these training sessions in September.

ABOUT THE COHEN VETERANS NETWORK

The Cohen Veterans Network is a 501(c)(3) national not for profit philanthropic organization for post-9/11 veterans and their families. CVN focuses on improving mental health outcomes, with a goal to build a network of outpatient mental health clinics for veterans and their families in high-need communities, in which trained clinicians deliver holistic evidence-based care to treat mental health conditions. Learn more about the Cohen Veterans Network.

Paul Wood: 203-569-0289
Anthony Guido: 203-569-0284
[email protected]

SOURCE Cohen Veterans Network