October 19, 2023 | The Taos News
Help prevent suicide among veterans
The Together With Veterans Taos steering committee invites you to an important event: On Saturday (Oct. 22) our community will gather for a discussion about how we can reduce the risk of suicide among our veterans.
The mission of the Together With Veterans Taos (TWV Taos) Program is to enlist rural veterans and their local partners to join forces to reduce veteran suicide in our community.
Rural veterans have a 20 percent increased risk of death by suicide, due to a combination of factors including isolation, a culture of self-reliance, fewer health care opportunities and greater access to firearms.
The Oct. 22 event is the start of this important work: You are invited to participate in a meeting to discuss how our community supports veterans and their families. Please come meet at Coronado Hall, 120 Civic Plaza Dr. in Taos, at 5 pm. The meeting should last about two hours. A meal, coffee and snacks will be provided.
Together, we’ll brainstorm to build a common understanding of how the community supports veterans and their families. We’ll conduct a SWOT Analysis, discussing Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats — for example, the availability of services locally, current veterans’ organizations who help; other community organizations and leaders who support veterans’ needs; what we can and need to do next.
Why is this conversation important? Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. and suicide rates are higher among veterans than the general population. In fact, male veterans ages 18-34 experience the highest rate of suicides, at 51.5 per 100,000 people. In rural areas, the rates are even higher. Rural veterans have a 20 percent increased risk of death by suicide, due to a combination of factors including isolation, a culture of self-reliance, fewer health care opportunities and greater access to firearms.
As a community-based suicide prevention program for rural veterans, TWV Taos works to build and strengthen partnerships between rural veterans and their communities to implement a plan for community-based suicide prevention. TWV Taos partners with Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education and the Department of Veteran Affairs, and it is overseen by a local veteran-majority steering committee.
Everyone is welcome. Please come share your ideas, your voice, your experience and your help. Together, let’s do what we can to save our brothers and sisters who served us. To RSVP, please call Valentina Livingston at 505-234-3010.