Rising Rate Of Suicide For Some Vets Prompts Program For Shoreline Police

Recent reports showing rising rates of suicide risk for some veterans returning from wars and conflicts in the Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq have prompted Madison volunteer and Branford advocate Ted Aub to arrange a workshop for police departments from East Haven to Old Saybrook, to make sure they know what to do when dealing with a crisis involving a veteran. 

The event is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 29th at the Madison Police Department. Aub has personally hand delivered invitations to every police department from East Haven to Old Saybrook, including Branford. He says the response so far has been enthusiastic and that he is hoping for a good turnout. 

At the meeting, police will hear from the Director of Psychological Health for the Connecticut National Guard, Kathleen Saucier, who will talk about why the suicide rate among some veterans is increasing dramatically and how emergency responders can approach emergencies involving potentially suicidal veterans. 

Program prompted by rising rates of suicide and suicidal thoughts among some vets

"We have heard that the suicide rate has jumped up astronomically, and so we wanted to put this thing together," said Aub, who also is the Connecticut State Coordinator for the National League of POW/MIA Families.

A study last year in the The Behavioral Medicine Report said that the suicide rate is startlingly high for veterans currently in college, the subject of that particular study. The report said: 

Nearly half of college students who are U.S. military veterans reported thinking of suicide and 20 percent said they had planned to kill themselves, rates significantly higher than among college students in general, according to a study presented at the American Psychological Association’s 119th Annual Convention.

“These alarming numbers underscore the urgent need for universities to be adequately staffed and prepared to assist and treat student veterans,” said M. David Rudd, PhD, of the University of Utah and lead author of the study entitled, “Student Veterans: A National Survey Exploring Psychological Symptoms and Suicide Risk.” Rudd presented the findings during a convention symposium focusing on unique challenges of suicide prevention in the military.

Emergency responders need information to adequately deal with issues as they arise

Another report from the Department of Veterans Affairs adds that, among the veteran population as a while, "approximately 18 veterans commit suicide each day."

Aub said, given the statistics, it is imperative that area emergency responders have the information they need to adequately deal with issues relating to veterans as they arise. 

One long-term goal, he said, is to provide each town with a name and phone number of a crisis intervention specialist who is specifically trained to deal with issues relating to veterans. "When you're a first responder, you have to react to what you see," Aub said, adding that the goal isn't to change the way the police do their job, but, rather, to provide them with additional tools they can use to help people. "We would like to be able to break the state up into nine sections, with someone from the psychological side available to each section at a moment's notice." 

"A uniform can be intimidating"

Aub said he has been told that getting someone involved "who does not wear a uniform" can sometimes be very important in intervention efforts. "A uniform can be intimidating," he said. This specialist also would know how to employ the veteran's friends and family in an intervention effort, and would be familiar with resources in the state available to help veterans, Aub said. 

"We're talking about addressing human needs, the human spirit. We don't want to see that get extinguished," he said. "That's our goal, that's the goal of the police officer. We don't want there to be loss of life." 

For more information about the program, and about the upcoming workshop, contact Ted Aub at 203-530-5269. 

Resources for veterans available

For more information about resources available to Connecticut veterans and their families, read this article from CPTV/WNPR. The article talks about a new program, Coaching into Care, that provides support to veterans and their families.  

• Families of veterans can contact Coaching into Care at 888-823-7458
• The 24/7 hotline for the Military Support Program is 866-251- 2913
• Residents can dial 2-1-1 to find out about other programs, ask the operator for military and veteran listings. 
• To reach the Connecticut VA, dial 866-928-8387