The Resilient Veteran

Caregiver Support Program: Setting Boundaries
2024-08-21 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Join the Caregiver Support Program this August
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Caregiver Support Program (CSP) is excited to continue virtual events for caregivers of Veterans. Check out August’s schedule below.

Setting Boundaries
Join August’s VA Caregiver Support Line (CSL) Monthly Educational Calls for Setting Boundaries: Defining What is Best for You, the Caregiver. Calls will be held on the following dates and times:

Wednesday, August 21 at 3 p.m. ET

To listen to the CSL monthly education calls, dial +1 347-566-4838 Conference ID: 521 546 087#. Caregivers who are unable to listen to the calls can access presentations on the CSL webpage.
Reach Out to Your Caregiver Support Team!
Every VA facility has a Caregiver Support Team (CST). CST’s provide support and service referrals, and valuable information about resources to help you stay informed and supported as you care for your Veteran. Contact your local CST to learn about more events happening in your area.

QPR Training
2024-08-23 14:00 - 16:00
QPR is a two-hour educational program designed to teach professionals as well as lay “gatekeepers” the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to respond. A gatekeeper is someone in a position to recognize a crisis and warning signs that someone may be at risk of suicide.
Pennsylvania suicide rates, especially in rural counties, are higher than the national average. QPR is a two-hour educational program designed to teach professionals as well as lay “gatekeepers” the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to respond. A gatekeeper is an individual who can recognize a crisis and the warning signs of someone possibly contemplating suicide. Anyone can become a gatekeeper: parents. friends, neighbors, teachers, athletic coaches, ministers, doctors, nurses, office supervisors, squad leaders, foremen, police officers, advisors, caseworkers, firefighters, etc. Gatekeepers come from all walks of life and do not require any prior training or education.
You can access the registration online. Please contact us if you experience challenges with registration.
We look forward to meeting you at an upcoming training session!
QPR Training Sessions
• Friday, August 23, 2024, 2:00-4:00 PM
• Tuesday, September 10, 2024, 11 :00 AM-1:00 PM
• Monday, September 16, 2024, 12:00-2:00 PM

INTEGRATING TRAUMA INFORMED CARE INTO SUICIDE RESPONSE (ITIC)
2024-08-26 11:00 - 12:00
INTEGRATING TRAUMA INFORMED CARE INTO SUICIDE RESPONSE (ITIC)
Suicide Prevention Training
The Integrating Trauma Informed Care into Suicide Response course will describe the role of trauma in both risk for suicide behaviors and in coping with suicide loss. It is a one-hour virtual training primarily designed for those who work with people at risk for suicide, such as health care providers and social service professionals.
The curriculum covers the role of trauma in suicide risk, the SAMHSA principles of trauma informed care, as well as specific trauma informed strategies to utilize with survivors of suicide.
Trainings are open to anyone and will be delivered virtually, via Zoom.
Funded by the CDC’s Division of Injury Prevention
Call: 878-208-8186
Email: pag109@pitt.edu
SIGN-UP TODAY!
https://tinyurl.com/4p6kamf7

Butler County, PA Suicide Awareness Remembrance Rally
2024-09-04 17:00 - 19:00
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
The Butler County Suicide Coalition is holding an event each week in September to remember those we have lost while raising awareness and sharing prevention resources.
September 4, 2024: Suicide Awareness Remembrance Rally 5:00pm Diamond Park, Main St Butler PA. A time of support and remembrance for our community.
For more info contact Amy Cirelli at 724-284-5114.

Butler County, PA Warrior Walk
2024-09-08 14:00 - 17:00
Sunday, September 8th at 2pm
Karns City Athletic Field
In memory of Tyler J. Barger
#beheretomorrow
All money raised from the walk goes to iRise to Save Lives for suicide prevention, education, and awareness.

Butler, PA Community Mental Health Summit
2024-09-10 08:00 - 17:00
SAVE THE DATE for the annual Butler VA Health Care System’s Mental Health Summit to be held on September 10. This year’s theme is “Stop the Stigma!” In-person attendance will be limited, but there will be an option to participate virtually. The event will be held at the Abie Abraham VA Health Care Center, Auditorium, located at 353 North Duffy Road, Butler, PA 16001. Please call 878-271-6172 to register or for more information.

QPR Training
2024-09-10 11:00 - 13:00
QPR is a two-hour educational program designed to teach professionals as well as lay “gatekeepers” the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to respond. A gatekeeper is someone in a position to recognize a crisis and warning signs that someone may be at risk of suicide.
Pennsylvania suicide rates, especially in rural counties, are higher than the national average. QPR is a two-hour educational program designed to teach professionals as well as lay “gatekeepers” the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to respond. A gatekeeper is an individual who can recognize a crisis and the warning signs of someone possibly contemplating suicide. Anyone can become a gatekeeper: parents. friends, neighbors, teachers, athletic coaches, ministers, doctors, nurses, office supervisors, squad leaders, foremen, police officers, advisors, caseworkers, firefighters, etc. Gatekeepers come from all walks of life and do not require any prior training or education.
You can access the registration online. Please contact us if you experience challenges with registration.
We look forward to meeting you at an upcoming training session!
QPR Training Sessions
• Tuesday, September 10, 2024, 11 :00 AM-1:00 PM
• Monday, September 16, 2024, 12:00-2:00 PM

Nurturing Hope: Supporting Loved Ones Who Have Passive Suicidal Thoughts
2024-09-10 19:00 - 20:00
Nurturing Hope: Supporting Loved Ones Who Have Passive Suicidal Thoughts, sponsored by Families for Depression Awareness.
Airing Tuesday, September 10, 2024, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm ET
Learn more online
Watch live on Facebook or YouTube
Dealing with chronic passive suicidal thoughts can feel like being stuck in a dark tunnel with no end in sight, both for the individual going through them and for their caregivers. It’s an experience that can feel isolating and overwhelming, but it’s not something you have to face alone.
Join us for “Nurturing Hope: Supporting Loved Ones Who Have Passive Suicidal Thoughts”, a livestream panel discussion that aims to illuminate the difficult nature of passive suicidality. We’ll explore ways to navigate these delicate situations, offering resources and strategies for caregivers. Together, we can foster open conversations, encourage understanding, and provide crucial support for our loved ones.

Presenters

Kiara Alvarez, PhD

Kiara Alvarez, PhD is a Bloomberg Assistant Professor of American Health in the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is a licensed psychologist and holds a joint appointment at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her research focuses on youth mental health equity, suicide prevention, and the well-being of Latinx and immigrant youth, including family-centered approaches to integrating mental health into primary care and community settings. She is on the Board of Directors for the Society for Prevention Research and steering committee for the Youth Suicide Research Consortium.

Johanna Louie, LCSW

Johanna Louie is a licensed clinical social worker passionate about caring for caregivers. In 10+ years of working in suicide prevention, she has served in roles like crisis line manager and psychotherapist, as well as directed clinical training programs. In 2018, she co-founded Suicide Is Different (SID) with Daniela Zanich. To this day, SID continues to provide support services for both professional and family caregivers caring for someone thinking about suicide. Johanna holds Master’s Degrees in Social Work from Columbia University and Human Behavior from the University of Southern California.

Imadé Nibokun

Imadé (ee-MAH-day) is a writer, mental health advocate, and founder of Depressed While Black®. She is a suicide attempt survivor who lives with clinical depression and borderline personality disorder. Imadé first developed Depressed While Black as her 2015 Columbia University Non-Fiction Creative Writing MFA thesis. Depressed While Black has grown into an online community and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that donates Black-affirming personal care items to psychiatric patients and connects people to Black therapists.

Lisa Mecham, MSW, Moderator

Lisa Mecham, MSW, is a writer and freelance editor based in California. Her work has been featured in The New York Times: Tiny Modern Love and Roxane Gay’s bestselling anthology Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture. Lisa’s writing about redefining her family and staying legally married to her husband, despite their separation, has been published in The On Being Project and HuffPost. Lisa’s interests center around resiliency, agency, and hope, with a particular focus on empowering women. She holds a Master of Social Work degree from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Tribal-VHA Partnerships in Suicide Prevention Toolkit
2024-09-11 14:00 - 16:00
September 11, 2024 • 2:00pm ET

LECTURE TOPIC
Cultural Considerations Applied in Community: Tribal-VHA Partnerships in Suicide Prevention Toolkit
Register online
Native American Veterans have served in the United States military at a higher level per capita than any other race group. They also have the highest rate of suicide, and those rates continue to rise. While suicide prevention is often focused on clinical intervention in a moment of crisis, suicide prevention is also about community. And for Native Americans, community connection is critical.

VA’s S.A.V.E.(Signs of suicidal thinking, Ask questions, Validate the experience, Encourage and Expediate treatment) training brings the community into Veteran suicide prevention.
Tribal communities have time-honored approaches and practices grounded in culture, tradition, and Indigenous knowledge that can help prevent suicide.

The Tribal-VHA Partnerships in Suicide Prevention Toolkit provides guidance for interweaving these different but also often complementary approaches to suicide prevention. The Toolkit includes strategies and step-by-step guides for building partnerships and re-envisioning VA suicide prevention approaches with Tribal communities.
Following this live lecture, participants will be able to:

Describe the general characteristics of Native Veterans and the communities where they live.
Identify critical components of VA facility/team readiness for Tribal partnerships.
Describe key elements of the four steps in creating a plan for initiating or strengthening a Tribal community partnership.
Identify the critical elements of the VA S.A.V.E. training to adapt into a S.A.V.E. Conversation culturally appropriate for a Tribal community.
Assess the differences between implementing a VA S.A.V.E. training and an adapted S.A.V.E. conversation.

PRESENTER INFORMATION
Carol E. Kaufman, PhD.

Carol E. Kaufman, PhD. is a population scientist with the Veteran Rural Health Resource Center, Salt Late City (VA Office of Rural Health) and a professor at the Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. With 25 years of experience in research and public health practice with Tribal communities, she is a social demographer with a strong interest in the cultural and community context of mental health and well-being, health services, and suicide prevention. A significant part of Dr. Kaufman’s work centers on Native American Veterans’ issues, efforts she has grounded within a strong community-engaged framework, working closely with Tribal communities to enhance partnership and collaboration in all aspects of her work.

Caregiver Support Program: Setting Boundaries
2024-09-11 19:00 - 20:00
Join the Caregiver Support Program this September
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Caregiver Support Program (CSP) is excited to continue virtual events for caregivers of Veterans. Check out September’s schedule below.

Setting Boundaries
Join September’s VA Caregiver Support Line (CSL) Monthly Educational Calls for Good Grief: Finding Hope in the Necessary Losses of Being a Caregiver. Calls will be held on the following dates and times:

Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. ET
Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 3 p.m. ET
Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. ET (Presented in Spanish)

To listen to the CSL monthly education calls, dial +1 347-566-4838 Conference ID: 521 546 087#. Caregivers who are unable to listen to the calls can access presentations on the CSL webpage.
Reach Out to Your Caregiver Support Team!
Every VA facility has a Caregiver Support Team (CST). CST’s provide support and service referrals, and valuable information about resources to help you stay informed and supported as you care for your Veteran. Contact your local CST to learn about more events happening in your area.

Butler County, PA QPR Training Sessions
2024-09-13 09:00 - 15:00
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
The Butler County Suicide Coalition is holding an event each week in September to remember those we have lost while raising awareness and sharing prevention resources.
September 13: QPR Suicide Prevention Trainings. Learn how to save a life. Trainings are at BCHS at 9am and 1pm.
For more info or to register to attend either class session, contact Amy Cirelli at 724-284-5114.

Butler County Suicide Healing and Remembrance Mass
2024-09-15 14:00 - 15:00
Suicide Healing and Remembrance Mass
September is Suicide Prevention Month. There were 35 suicides in Butler County last year. Suicide remains a serious public threat that touches the lives of many Americans. Please join us for a Suicide Healing and Remembrance Mass on Sunday, September 15 at 2:00 at St. John the Evangelist Church (668 Clearfield Road, Fenelton, PA).
This Mass will be a time to remember our loved ones lost to suicide and to pray for people who have struggled with suicide ideation. The Mass will also acknowledge the individuals, families, and communities that have been impacted. If you choose, you will have an opportunity to place your loved one’s name in the church as a memorial for the month of September. Please join us to pray for those suffering with mental illness and those who have been affected by suicide.

QPR + CALM Training
2024-09-16 12:00 - 14:00
QPR is a two-hour educational program designed to teach professionals as well as lay “gatekeepers” the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to respond. A gatekeeper is someone in a position to recognize a crisis and warning signs that someone may be at risk of suicide.
This date also offers a 1-hour Counseling on Access to Lethal Means Training (CALM) directly after the QPR sessions. You can opt-in to one or both trainings.
Pennsylvania suicide rates, especially in rural counties, are higher than the national average. QPR is a two-hour educational program designed to teach professionals as well as lay “gatekeepers” the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to respond. A gatekeeper is an individual who can recognize a crisis and the warning signs of someone possibly contemplating suicide. Anyone can become a gatekeeper: parents. friends, neighbors, teachers, athletic coaches, ministers, doctors, nurses, office supervisors, squad leaders, foremen, police officers, advisors, caseworkers, firefighters, etc. Gatekeepers come from all walks of life and do not require any prior training or education.
You can access the registration online. Please contact us if you experience challenges with registration.
We look forward to meeting you at an upcoming training session!
QPR Training Sessions
• Monday, September 16, 2024, 12:00-2:00 PM

Survivors of Suicide Bereavement Support Group
2024-09-17 17:00 - 18:00
Are you grieving the loss of a loved one to suicide?
Survivors of Suicide Bereavement Support Group
Held the THIRD Tuesday of the month
5:00PM-6:00PM
Mercer Area Library
110 E Venango St, Mercer, PA 16137
Must be at least 18 years old to attend
Facilitators are peers who have been trained to help those with a loss by suicide and want to help others cope with the loss of loved ones.
For more information contact Anna @ Mercer County Behavioral Health 724-662-1550 EXT. 190

Cognitive Behavioral Nightmare Therapies and PTSD
2024-09-18 14:00 - 15:00
Wednesday, September 18 at 2:00pm ET
The prevalence of nightmare disorder in the general population is 5%. Nightmares are typically characterized as idiopathic (i.e., from an unknown cause) or trauma-related (i.e., beginning or changing in frequency, severity, or content after a traumatic event). Nightmares are reported by 30% of trauma-exposed civilians, 50% of trauma-exposed veterans, and 30-40% of active duty military personnel and members of the National Guard. Among individuals diagnosed with PTSD, nightmare rates are higher and are reported by 57% of civilians with PTSD and 50-70% of active duty service members with PTSD. A variety of cognitive behavioral interventions show promise for the treatment of nightmares and also improve insomnia, PTSD, and depression. There is a wide range of names for the various treatments tested in randomized controlled trials, which creates challenges in comparing treatment efficacy by protocol in systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Furthermore, there are not enough providers trained in CBT-N. This presentation will bridge the gap by summarizing data regarding the definition and prevalence of nightmares, providing an overview of CBT-N protocols, describing research of the efficacy of CBT-N in PTSD, and describing a newly developed, DoD funded, web-based provider training for CBT-N.
View event listing
Register online

About the Presenter

KRISTI PRUIKSMA, PhD, DBSM is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The University
of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and a Diplomat for Behavioral Sleep Medicine. Her work focuses on clinical research and supporting dissemination of evidence-based treatments for sleep disorders and PTSD with a focus on active duty military personnel in affiliation with the STRONG STAR Consortium. She has published more than 50 empirically- reviewed articles and is currently the PI of a DoD funded project to build and test a web-based provider training for CBT for nightmares and a DoD funded project comparing CBT-I and BBT-I in active duty service members with postconcussive symptoms following Mild TBI.

Caregiver Support Program: Setting Boundaries
2024-09-18 15:00 - 16:00
Join the Caregiver Support Program this September
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Caregiver Support Program (CSP) is excited to continue virtual events for caregivers of Veterans. Check out September’s schedule below.

Setting Boundaries
Join September’s VA Caregiver Support Line (CSL) Monthly Educational Calls for Good Grief: Finding Hope in the Necessary Losses of Being a Caregiver. Calls will be held on the following dates and times:

Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 3 p.m. ET
Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. ET (Presented in Spanish)

To listen to the CSL monthly education calls, dial +1 347-566-4838 Conference ID: 521 546 087#. Caregivers who are unable to listen to the calls can access presentations on the CSL webpage.
Reach Out to Your Caregiver Support Team!
Every VA facility has a Caregiver Support Team (CST). CST’s provide support and service referrals, and valuable information about resources to help you stay informed and supported as you care for your Veteran. Contact your local CST to learn about more events happening in your area.

The Ripple Effect in Butler, PA
2024-09-18 17:30 - 20:00
The Butler County Suicide Coalition, Butler VA Health Care System, and The Penn Theater are hosting a free viewing of the Kevin Hines documentary: The Ripple Effect
In 2000, Kevin attempted to take his life by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge and lived. He made The Ripple Effect as a way to share his story of hope, healing, and recovery.
Where: The Penn Theater
149 N Main Street, Butler, PA
When: September 18, 2024
Doors open: 5:30pm
Movie starts: 6:00pm
Need more information about this event or the Butler County Suicide Coalition? Contact Amy Cirelli at BCHS (724-284-5114)

Timely and Adaptive Strategies to Optimize Suicide Prevention Interventions
2024-09-19 13:00 - 15:00
Date/Time: September 19, 2024, 1:00–3:00 p.m. ET
Location: Virtual
Learn more and register online
Therapeutic interventions are now being applied in ways that may enhance timely and tailored strategies to address suicide risk. This approach requires ready access to end-user data that informs proactive intervention strategies. This webinar from the National Institute of Mental Health will consider 1) which data sources are best equipped to inform intervention strategies, 2) which intervention aspects should involve tailoring strategies vs. simpler approaches that may be just as effective, and 3) how such approaches can be incorporated into providers’ workflows within a health care setting.
This webinar brings together experts in areas that include passive and active data collection methods, the measurement of social contexts related to suicide risk, and the methodological aspects of Just-in-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAI). The goal is to provide insights into developing and testing JITAIs for suicide prevention and to offer guidance on incorporating these adaptive interventions into healthcare systems.

Caregiver Support Program: Setting Boundaries
2024-09-24 13:00 - 14:00
Join the Caregiver Support Program this September
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Caregiver Support Program (CSP) is excited to continue virtual events for caregivers of Veterans. Check out September’s schedule below.

Setting Boundaries
Join September’s VA Caregiver Support Line (CSL) Monthly Educational Calls for Good Grief: Finding Hope in the Necessary Losses of Being a Caregiver. Calls will be held on the following dates and times:

Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. ET (Presented in Spanish)

To listen to the CSL monthly education calls, dial +1 347-566-4838 Conference ID: 521 546 087#. Caregivers who are unable to listen to the calls can access presentations on the CSL webpage.
Reach Out to Your Caregiver Support Team!
Every VA facility has a Caregiver Support Team (CST). CST’s provide support and service referrals, and valuable information about resources to help you stay informed and supported as you care for your Veteran. Contact your local CST to learn about more events happening in your area.

Butler County, PA Game Night
2024-09-24 18:00 - 20:00
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
The Butler County Suicide Coalition is holding an event each week in September to remember those we have lost while raising awareness and sharing prevention resources.
September 24: Game Night at Your Parent’s Basement from 6:00-8:00pm
Location: Your Parent’s Basement, Main St Butler PA
Admission is on us! Join us for an evening of fellowship and sharing of resources!
For more info, contact Amy Cirelli at 724-284-5114.

8th Annual Suicide Prevention Conference
2024-09-25 08:00 - 17:00
8th Annual
Suicide Prevention Conference
Wednesday, September 25th, 2024
Call for Proposals
This year’s conference will be held at the Ambassador Conference Center in Erie on Wednesday, 9/25/24. The annual conference typically draws around 200 participants from all over Erie County and beyond and hosts breakout sessions focusing on the area of suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention.
This year’s theme is: Forging Ahead with Hope: Innovation in Prevention
The conference planning committee requests that all proposals for breakout sessions meet one of the following conference goals:
1). Building upon existing partnerships and expanding the reach of suicide prevention in our community.
2). Integration of suicide prevention into conversations and training initiatives in work, school, and other community settings.
3). Advancements in suicide prevention screening and assessment.
4). Improvement of access to emergency mental health care including crisis and suicide intervention in all communities.
5). Usage of research and data for improvement of outcomes relating to suicide prevention and intervention.
6). Development and implementation of resilience and hope in suicide prevention and intervention.
Breakout sessions will be 75-90 minutes in duration and are training opportunities in which the presenter(s) lead participants through lecture, exercises and/or skill development in a given domain as the material relates to one of the above stated conference goals.
· You may submit more than one proposal but each proposal must be a complete and separate submission.
· The deadline for proposals is 8/1/2024.
· Proposals will be reviewed for completeness and stated criteria, connection and relevance to the audience and conference goals, and qualifications of the presenter(s).
· You will be notified on or before August 15th, 2024 whether your proposal has been accepted
Step 1: Complete the online proposal form that requests the following information here: https://lnkd.in/eEHx5NHH (https://lnkd.in/eEHx5NHH)

What Happens to Veterans Who Leave the Military Under Other Than Honorable Conditions?
2024-09-26 16:00 - 17:00
The way a veteran’s service is characterized through the formal military discharge process can significantly impact their life. Most are discharged as “honorable,” which entitles them to veterans benefits and services due to their satisfactory service to the country.
Yet in the past two decades, those leaving service with an “other than honorable” (OTH) designation is rising. These veterans have limited to no access to veterans benefits in the years following their service. Many who receive OTH issuances are from minority groups. Some sustain service-related injuries and are prone to mental health challenges and substance use problems. They are also at increased risk of homelessness and suicide.
A panel of experts will discuss what we know about veterans who leave military service under OTH conditions and offer recommendations to improve the process of discharge characterization. They will discuss what this type of discharge means for veterans and their families, why and in what context veterans leave the military with an OTH discharge, and considerations for policy changes that would expand benefits for certain veterans in this group.
This webinar is part of a series of events organized by the RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute to explore pressing policy challenges affecting veterans, their families, and their communities.
Register Online

Date:
September 26, 2024

Time:
4–5 p.m. ET
1–2 p.m. PT

Lawrence County Out of the Darkness Walk
2024-10-05 09:00 - 11:30
REGISTER TODAY
Lawrence County Out of the Darkness Walk
Saturday, October, 5, 2024
Register at afsp.org/NEWCASTLE
On-Site Registration Starts: 9:30 am
Program Starts: 11:00 am
Location: Riverwalk Memorial Park – 250 E. Washington St., New Castle, PA 16101
Contact: Michele Kelly-Thompson
Contact Phone: 724-510-3271
Contact Email: mkthompson@humanservicescenter.net

DBT for Justice-Involved Veterans
2024-10-09 14:00 - 15:00
Veterans experiencing criminal-legal difficulties are at significantly elevated risk for suicide (~150 per 100,000) compared to their non-legally involved peers (~40 per 100,000). Addressing criminal-legal involvement is therefore key to effective Veteran suicide prevention. Through this live virtual, knowledge-based webinar, attendees will learn about a recently developed psychotherapy program specifically designed to decrease risk of future criminal-legal involvement and suicide risk.
Following this live lecture, participants will be able to:

Discuss suicide risk in Veterans experiencing criminal-legal involvement compared to Veterans not experiencing such involvement.
Describe assessment strategies to identify Veterans experiencing criminal-legal involvement.
Employ effective intervention strategies to mitigate the risk of criminal-legal involvement and suicide.

Register online

Caregiver Support: Managing Anger
2024-10-09 19:00 - 20:00
Join the Caregiver Support Program this October

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Caregiver Support Program (CSP) is excited to continue virtual events for caregivers of Veterans. Check out October’s schedule below.
Join October’s VA Caregiver Support Line (CSL) Monthly Educational Calls for Extinguishing the Fire: Managing Anger’s Destructive Potential. Caregiving has its challenges and managing your anger is vital for your well-being as a caregiver. Please note, calls will be held on the following dates and times:

Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. ET
Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 3 p.m. ET
Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 1 p.m. ET (Presented in Spanish)

To listen to the CSL monthly education calls, dial +1 347-566-4838 Conference ID: 521 546 087#. Caregivers who are unable to listen to the calls can access presentations on the CSL webpage.
Reach Out to Your Caregiver Support Team!
Every VA facility has a Caregiver Support Team (CST). CST’s provide support and service referrals, and valuable information about resources to help you stay informed and supported as you care for your Veteran. Find your local Caregiver Support Team to learn about more events happening in your area.

14th Annual Veteran Stand Down: New Castle, PA
2024-10-11 12:00 - 15:00
14th Annual Veteran Stand Down
Friday, October 11, 2024
12:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Cascade Park, 1928 E. Washington Street, New Castle, PA

Free for Vets and Service Members: Medical screenings, haircuts, hygiene products, boxed meals, and organization with resource information and referrals.
For more info contact
Missy Russell 724.658.7258 ext. 1414
Jess Putnam 724.656.2172
Holly Vete 724.657.0226
www.va.gov/butler-health-care

Suicide Prevention and SUD
2024-10-16 13:00 - 14:00
Substance misuse is the second most frequent risk factor for suicide.
The SP/SUD course is about how to recognize the warning signs of SUD and suicide, the intersection of SUD and suicide, and how stigma can affect help seekers and help givers. It is a one-hour virtual training designed for mental health professionals, health care providers, and social service professionals.
The SP/SUD curriculum covers the facts, warning signs, protective factors, and stigma associated with SUD and suicide, as well as proactive care strategies to consider. Trainings are open to anyone and will be delivered virtually, via Zoom.
SP/SUD Trainings (virtual):
• Wednesday, October 16, 2024 1:00-2:00 PM
• Tuesday, November 19, 2024 1:00 -2:00 PM
Free CEUs will be provided in EMS/LSW/LCSW/LPC/LMFT from UPMC.

Treating PTSD in Primary Care
2024-10-16 14:00 - 16:00
Treating PTSD in Primary Care
PTSD commonly occurs among primary care patients in both Veterans Affairs and community settings. Research demonstrates that most primary care patients with PTSD do not receive adequate PTSD treatment. Evidence-based screenings and treatments for PTSD that are appropriate for the primary care setting are now available. This presentation will detail gold standard screening methods and describe several brief treatments for PTSD, including their evidence base and current implementations status. Strategies for shared decision making on when to treat in primary care and when to referral to specialty mental health settings will also be discussed.

Kyle Possemato, PhD
Wednesday, October 16 at 2:00pm ET
Register to attend

Caregiver Support: Managing Anger
2024-10-16 15:00 - 16:30
Join the Caregiver Support Program this October

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Caregiver Support Program (CSP) is excited to continue virtual events for caregivers of Veterans. Check out October’s schedule below.
Join October’s VA Caregiver Support Line (CSL) Monthly Educational Calls for Extinguishing the Fire: Managing Anger’s Destructive Potential. Caregiving has its challenges and managing your anger is vital for your well-being as a caregiver. Please note, calls will be held on the following dates and times:

Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 3 p.m. ET
Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 1 p.m. ET (Presented in Spanish)

To listen to the CSL monthly education calls, dial +1 347-566-4838 Conference ID: 521 546 087#. Caregivers who are unable to listen to the calls can access presentations on the CSL webpage.
Reach Out to Your Caregiver Support Team!
Every VA facility has a Caregiver Support Team (CST). CST’s provide support and service referrals, and valuable information about resources to help you stay informed and supported as you care for your Veteran. Find your local Caregiver Support Team to learn about more events happening in your area.

Moral Injury in Service Members
2024-10-17 10:00 - 13:30
The Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) is offering a three and a half-hour workshop on Moral Injury in Service Members. The workshop will be held online via Zoom, 17 October 2024, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Eastern. Space in this event is limited and registration will close when capacity is reached, even if this is before the final registration deadline.
Registration for the course is $25.
Moral injury may develop from exposure to events (acts of commission or omission) that transgress an individual’s deeply held values and beliefs, leading to negative psychological, spiritual, and social consequences. Morally injurious events can erode core beliefs about what is right and wrong in oneself or others—about goodness, trustworthiness, and benevolence. While it is an ancient concept that battlefield transgressions may inflict emotional harm on the warfighter, there has been growing interest in moral injury in the mental health field and other circles. Some experts suggest that the extended operations in Iraq and Afghanistan may have increased service members’ risk for developing moral injury, given the ambiguous nature of the operations, including unconventional guerrilla warfare and changing rules of engagement. More recently, researchers have reported on moral injury experienced by first responders and health care providers from COVID-19-related moral and ethical stressors.
This training will explore where morality comes from, define moral injury and describe how it develops, identify incidents that may contribute to it, and examine various assessment and treatment methods. The focus will be on moral injury in the military population, while recognizing that it also occurs in the civilian population. The presenter will encourage participants to consider challenges they face in identifying and treating moral injury, including how to create a nonjudgmental, safe space for clients to talk about it, and how to distinguish moral injury from common co-occurring problems such as PTSD. Military cases will be introduced to demonstrate approaches for assessing and addressing moral injury. This training is aimed at behavioral health providers and trainees working with service members and veterans as well as clinicians interested in trauma (Litz et al., 2022; Richardson et al., 2020; Rozek & Bryan, 2021).
Learning objectives:

Distinguish moral injury from morally injurious events and common co-occurring problems
Use appropriate assessment tools and measures to evaluate clients for moral injury
Apply effective strategies for the treatment of moral injury
