Suicide Risk Management Consultation Program News

Veterans Health Administration sent this bulletin at 03/12/2021 11:05 AM EST

March 2021 Edition |  Suicide Risk Management Consultation Program News
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Suicide Risk Management Consultation Program (SRM)
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As mental health providers, we are deeply aware of the pandemic's effects on mental health, such as increased stress and anxiety and feelings of isolation and loneliness. During this time, mental health providers have been on the front lines, supporting and uplifting communities — including Veterans. In this issue of our newsletter, we honor our social workers as we recognize Social Work Month and the essential work they do every day. Our SRM team has two outstanding social workers who are profiled in this issue of our newsletter.

During this season, we also recognize women's mental health and general mental health awareness. This issue of the newsletter highlights key resources and trainings related to these very important topics. We hope you find the information useful and beneficial in your practice.

As always, please remember that we are here to support you as you continue the very important work of providing care for our Veterans and their loved ones.
Take care.

— Drs. Bridget Matarazzo & Hal Wortzel
(Co-Directors of Suicide Risk Management Consultation Program)
 

Resources
 
Toolkit icon  

Social Work Month

isit socialworkers.org for Social Work Month information

March is Social Work Month and this year's theme is "Social Workers are Essential." Social workers in VA and in the community address a broad range of needs for Veterans and their loved ones. Individual and systemic barriers have significantly increased during the pandemic, making the role of social workers more important than ever. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) website has more information on this year's theme, including a toolkit, to recognize social workers' contributions.
 
Women's Health Month icon  

Women's Health Month

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently published a special journal supplement focused on understanding suicide risk and prevention in women Veterans. It is the biggest collection of articles in this area published to date.
 
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Article: Suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and non-suicidal self-injury among female veterans: Prevalence, timing, and onset

Over the last decade, suicide rates for women Veterans, a growing subpopulation, continue to increase. Co-authored by SRM consultant Dr. Ryan Holliday, this informative article focuses on looking at suicidal ideation and attempts and non-suicidal self-injury among women Veterans.

Female Veterans: Onset plus prevalence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (Monteith, Holliday, Miller et al. 2020, Journal of Affective Disorders)

The Rocky Mountain MIRECC has an excellent collection of additional research articles related to women Veterans.
 
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SRM/PTSD programs featured on VAntage Point blog

As the number of Veterans seeking care outside of VA grows, it is more important than ever for clinicians to consider the influence of military and Veteran culture on a patient's behaviors and perceptions about seeking health care treatment. These behaviors and perceptions can especially impact those diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and those at high-risk for suicide.

Read more about the importance of having military competency and sensitivity and the resources available to mental health providers.
 
Mental Health Month icon  

May is Mental Health Month

Organizations and people across the country work together to raise awareness of mental health, provide support and reduce stigma. The National Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health America have excellent resources supporting this effort.
 
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Providers, Make Your Voice Heard: COVID-19 Impact Study

The Rocky Mountain MIRECC is conducting a research study about the impact of COVID-19 on health care provider's mental and physical wellbeing. We encourage all providers (and those in training) to participate!

We are seeking health care providers to participate in a research study about the impact of COVID-19 on their physical and mental health
 

SRM Lecture Series

Join us for the SRM Monthly Lecture Series and earn free CEUs! Presentations occur on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 2 pm ET.
 
  • April — Responding to Suicide Ideation from a DBT Perspective by Dr. Laura Meyers
  • May — Women's Health and Behavioral Healthcare by Drs. Claire Hoffmire and Lindsey Monteith
  • June — Dr. Joleen Sussman, PhD and Kelly Soberay, MA will present on older adults and suicide risk with a focus on dementia for Brain Awareness Month

Click here for more information on upcoming and previous lectures.

   SRM Lecture Series: Save the date... every 2nd Wednesday of the month
 

Order Free Promotional Products

SRM products are free promotional resources to be shared with colleagues, work teams and/or distributed at professional work and community events.

Help us spread the word about the SRM Consultation Program by ordering free products today.

   SRM Promotional Materials: tote bag, magnet, notepad and stylus/ink pen
 

HIGHLIGHT: MIRECC Social Workers,
Georgia Gerard, LCSW & Christie Machan, LCSW
 
 
  Georgia Gerard, LCSW, Consultant and Program Manager

Georgia Gerard, LCSW
Consultant and Program Manager

Ms. Gerard is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and provides consultation and administrative support for the SRM Consultation Program. Her clinical interests include serving as a clinician for research studies with a focus on Veterans at risk for suicide and providing assessment services to Veterans at risk for suicide.
 
 
  Christie Machan, LCSW, Consultant and Program Specialist

Christie Machan, LCSW
Consultant and Program Specialist

Ms. Machan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and provides consultation and administrative support for the SRM Consultation Program. Previously, Ms. Machan worked as a VA psychotherapist with a focus on individual, couples, and family therapy. Her clinical interests include promoting evidence based interventions to support Veterans psychiatric recovery to enhance close relationships and family safety to reduce risk of harm.

Learn more about the rest of the team on our website.
 

What Providers Are Saying About SRM

In the past three months, providers who used SRM reported the following on a survey about the impact of consultation:
95% reported that they would probably or most definitely recommend SRM to colleagues. 100% reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the consultation" title="100% reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the consultation  

"Georgia had lots of out of the box ideas and sent a few measures to make it easier on me to work with a specific Veteran. She was very competent, helpful, and reinforced some of the ideas I had. I enjoyed how her suggestions spanned from classic behavior analysis (chain analysis) to ACT values work. Really good."

—VA Provider feedback from the SRM satisfaction survey, in the context of behavior analysis
 

How to Request a Consult

To request a free consult, email SRMconsult@va.gov and one of our team members will be in touch to get you connected with a consultant.

 Request a consult   Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255 (press 1) or Text to 83255
 
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