274950 A Discussion of Suicide Prevention Programs for Veterans

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 : 12:30 PM - 12:45 PM

Janet Kemp, RN, PhD , Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC
In 2008, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) implemented a suicide event reporting system designed to collect standardized information on all suicide attempts reported to VA clinicians and Suicide Prevention Coordinators in VA medical centers and outpatient facilities. Since that time, the VA has collected information on nearly 46,000 suicide attempts and the suicide event reporting system has transitioned from an aggregate spreadsheet submitted monthly to an electronic reporting system capable of achieving near “real time” surveillance of suicide events among Veterans. Improved surveillance of suicide is one of many programs implemented in support of innovative suicide prevention activities in the VA. This discussion session will review results from each of the studies presented in the panel, provide and provide overview of existing and developing suicide prevention initiatives sponsored by the VA.

Learning Areas:
Environmental health sciences
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Define recently introduced suicide prevention programs. Describe relationships between program implementation and evaluation. Discuss the relationships between present and future suicide prevention efforts.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Associate Director, Education and Training and Veterans Affairs National Suicide Prevention Coordinator at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4211.0: Epidemiology of Suicide among Veterans and Active Duty Service Members