Press Release: 2024-10-01

Executive Office of Veterans Services Hosts Roundtable Discussion with Department of Veterans Affairs and Announces $300,000 Suicide Mortality Review Grant

 



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:



9/30/2024





BOSTON — Today, the Executive Office of Veterans Services (EOVS) held a roundtable discussion at the Massachusetts State House in honor of National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, featuring expert insights from Dr. Aaron Eagen, Director of Community Based Interventions at the Office of Suicide Prevention for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and other key leaders in the suicide prevention field in Massachusetts. The event, moderated by EOVS Secretary Jon Santiago, provided a platform to highlight ongoing collaborative efforts and programs addressing mental health, PTSD, and suicide prevention among Massachusetts veterans and service members.



During the event, Secretary Santiago announced that EOVS has been awarded a $300,000 grant as part of the VA's Fiscal Year 2024 Suicide Mortality Review (SMR) Cooperative Agreement. This funding will support the development of SMR programming in Massachusetts, enhancing statewide strategies to prevent suicide and improve mental health outcomes for veterans.



“National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month is a critical time for us to engage with veterans, their families, and our partners to address mental health challenges head-on,” said Secretary Santiago. “Our roundtable today, featuring national and local leaders in veteran suicide prevention, exemplifies our commitment to fostering dialogue, sharing resources, and taking concrete steps to save lives.”



“The Department of Veterans Affairs delivers world-class mental health and suicide prevention care through our extensive programs and wide-reaching services, and while there’s always more we can do, we’ve implemented strong initiatives to improve access to care and are excited for continued collaboration on these critical issues,” said Dr. Aaron Eagen, Director of Community-Based Initiatives at the Office of Suicide Prevention, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, during today’s roundtable discussion.



The roundtable, held Monday afternoon, brought together leaders from EOVS, US Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Boston Health Care, and Home Base to discuss collaborative efforts, future plans, and strategies and interventions for veteran suicide prevention. Key attendees included:




  • Dr. Aaron Eagen, Director, Community Based Interventions, Office of Suicide Prevention, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

  • Secretary Jon Santiago, Executive Office of Veterans Services

  • Dr. John C. Bradley, MD, DFAPA, Colonel (Retired), US Army, Director of Mental Health Service, VA Boston Healthcare System

  • Dr. René Lento, PhD, Director, Addiction Services, Home Base



The discussion focused on current suicide prevention strategies, the root causes of veteran suicide, and ways to reduce stigma and enhance support for at-risk individuals. Members of the EOVS SAVE (Statewide Advocacy for Veterans Empowerment) and SERVE (Supporting and Empowering Reintegration for Veterans’ Equality) teams joined the panel to share stories from their work and insights into how their outreach has impacted the veteran community.



“The partnerships between the Commonwealth, the VA, Veterans Service Organizations, and the private sector are key to addressing the root causes of suicide and providing the services that can prevent the death of people who have given so much. It is imperative that all hands pull together as part of one team,” said Dr. John Bradley, Director of Mental Health Service at VA Boston Healthcare System.



“Suicide prevention, trauma recovery, addiction support, and access to gold standard mental health care is at the heart of Home Base’s mission to heal the invisible wounds of war for Massachusetts Veterans and their Families,” said Dr. René Lento, PhD, Director, Addiction Services, Home Base. “Home Base was honored to be a part of today’s roundtable and is grateful to Governor Healey and Secretary Santiago for their support while continuing to shine a light on the importance of mental health care for Massachusetts Veterans.”



The $300,000 grant awarded to EOVS is part of the VA's national Suicide Mortality Review (SMR) program, which aims to create comprehensive suicide prevention initiatives through statewide data collection and analysis. EOVS, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Governor’s Challenge, the Department of Public Health (DPH), and the Department of Mental Health (DMH), has been working closely with the VA/SAMHSA Suicide Mortality Review Academy to help Massachusetts identify risk factors, enhance data collection, and develop tailored interventions to better serve veterans. The funding will support the establishment of a Suicide Mortality Review Committee (SMRC) in Massachusetts, which will systematically review suicide deaths, identify contributing factors, and develop data-informed strategies for preventing future suicides.



"Receiving this grant marks an important step forward in our mission to prevent suicide among veterans in Massachusetts," said Secretary Santiago. "By working together with our partners at the VA and using data-driven approaches, we will continue to expand our programming, enhance services, and address the mental health needs of our veteran community."



EOVS’s Continued Efforts in Suicide Prevention



The roundtable is one of many events and initiatives organized by EOVS throughout September for National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Earlier this month, EOVS hosted the "New England VA 1-on-1 Veterans Expo," which connected over 600 veterans to personalized services and collaborated with organizations that received the 2023 Veterans Community Initiative Grant program, a $2M investment awarded to 15 organizations to support suicide prevention and peer support efforts.



For more information on EOVS's suicide prevention efforts and upcoming events, including a full recap of today’s discussion, please visit mass.gov/vets.