In January 2018, #PresidentDonaldTrump signed an executive order directing the departments of #VeteransAffairs, Defense and Homeland Security to collaborate and provide ‘‘seamless access’’ to #mentalhealth and #suicideprevention resources for #veterans.
A second executive order in March “to empower #veterans and end #veteranssuicide” created the Veteran Wellness, Empowerment and #SuicidePrevention Task Force. The task force was charged with three objectives to achieve by March 2020:
• Develop a ‘‘comprehensive national public health road map’’ outlining the strategies to effectively lower the #veteran #suicide rate with a focus on community engagement
• Propose a program to Congress for making grants to local communities, which will increase collaboration; integrate service delivery and coordinate resources for #veterans.
• Produce a national strategy to improve the coordination and execution of research on #veteran #suicideprevention.
Families of #veterans with #PTSD know the urgency. They know the severity of #PTSD and that, contrary to popular belief, time does not heal all wounds. Not all scars are visible. Thousands of #veterans remain haunted by horrific experiences. It’s a lesson we all need to understand.
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Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
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At K9 Partners for Patriots in Brooksville, a program that exists to prevent #suicide, we work for #veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; Traumatic Brain Injury and Military Sexual Trauma. Before we pair a #veteran with a dog that they will train from the onset (with our trainers) over a 19-week program, the connection with the #veteran begins with empathy and respect.
After a #veteran applies, the paperwork is expedited by a #veteran liaison who has walked in their shoes. The same person they speak to, initially by phone, conducts a face-to-face interview at our facilities.
We strive to manage their expectations and reduce anxiety. It’s the care they receive from the onset that puts each #veteran in a position to succeed. They truly have a family here who is protective of them. We’ve got their back.
It’s a notable contrast from the VA experience where too many tell us they’re bounced from one physician to another, rapidly processed and, more often than not, prescribed a new pill.
VA Secretary Robert Wilkie says #suicideprevention is the department’s ‘‘top clinical priority.’’ But the everyday treatment given each veteran walking through their doors must align with VA’s aspirations. Service dogs that help mitigate the severity and frequency of their #veterans’ #stress and #anxiety are not always welcome at #VA facilities. Some doctors tell our #veterans not to bring their service dog to their appointments.
#Veteran attitudes toward the #VA are not likely to improve until all #VA doctors and staff treat them like human beings who are greater than the sum of their symptoms. That epiphany must come from within, and not because a bureaucrat made #suicideprevention a ‘‘priority’’ in a memo to department heads.
Gregg Laskoski is communications director for K9 Partners for Patriots, a Brooksville nonprofit dedicated to preventing #veteran #suicide.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org