Know the Signs

Watch for these key suicide warning signs, and provide the Lifeline number to anyone exhibiting them.

• Talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself
• Trying to get pills, guns, or other ways to harm oneself
• Talking or writing about death, dying or suicide
• Hopelessness
• Rage, uncontrolled anger, seeking revenge
• Acting in a reckless or risky way
• Feeling trapped, like there is no way out
• Saying or feeling there's no reason for living.

Resources

• Veterans Chat - National Suicide Prevention Lifeline*
  Veterans (and family members or friends) can access Veterans Chat through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website. Veterans Chat enables Veterans, their families and friends to go online where they can anonymously chat with a trained VA counselor. If the chats are determined to be a crisis, the counselor can take immediate steps to transfer the chatter to the VA Suicide Prevention Hotline, where further counseling and referral services are provided and crisis intervention steps can be taken.
• Locate Your Local Suicide Prevention Coordinator*
  Each VA Medical Center has a suicide prevention coordinator to make sure veterans receive needed counseling and services. Calls from the Lifeline are referred to those coordinators.
• DoD/VA Suicide Outreach: Resources for Suicide Prevention*
  This site is a comprehensive resource - you will find ready access to hotlines, treatments, professional resources, forums and multiple media designed to link you to others. This site supports all Service Branches, the National Guard and the Reserves, our Veterans, families, and providers.
• Medal of Honor Recipients: Speak Out! Save Lives.*
  Our nation’s greatest heroes – Medal of Honor recipients – speak out to save lives by encouraging America’s military to seek help when adjusting to life after combat.

Brochures and Information Sheets

• How to Recognize When to Ask for Help (MS Word)
  This resource document contains information on suicide prevention -- understanding the warning signs, myths and realities, and Veteran specific risks.
• Suicide Risk Assessment Guide (PDF)
  The Suicide Risk Assessment Guide contains information on warning signs, factors that may increase risk, factors that may decrease risk, as well as tips on how to respond.
• VA ACE Card (PDF) and VA ACE Brochure (PDF)
  The purpose of ACE is to help Veterans, their family members and friends learn that they can take the necessary steps to get help. The acronym ACE (Ask, Care, Escort) summarizes the steps needed to take an active and valuable role in suicide prevention. The VA ACE Card is a pocket guide, supported by the VA ACE Brochure which provides more in depth information.
• Suicide Attempt Survivor Family Resource Guide (PDF)
  This resource guide is designed to provide veterans and their families with resources that can serve as sources of information and support. The guide contains formation on self-care, care for others (particularly children), and care for the suicide attempt survivor.
• How to Talk to a Child about a Suicide Attempt in Your Family
  The following information sheets are intended to serves as guides for adults to use when talking with a 4-8, 9-13 or 14-18 year-old child about a suicide attempt in the family. They are not intended to replace the advice of a mental health professional. In fact, it may be best to use these guides along with professional support if you or your child is struggling with how to talk about this difficult topic. It is important to consider the child’s level of development and ability to understand events when deciding how to talk with them about this issue.

Suicide Prevention Lifeline is staffed by trained professionals 24 hours a day to help in an immediate crisis.

Click on the map below to locate a VA facility.

VHA provides a variety of psychiatric services at medical centers and outpatient clinics. Use the quick links to jump to a specific center to find out what service they focus on.

Services:

Select Compensated Work Therapy MIRECC My Healthe Vet National Center for PTSD Vet centers Homelessness OEF/OIF Veterans Substance Abuse Women Veterans Military Sexual Trauma