The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) partners with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to bring the Governor’s Challenges to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families (SMVF) to states, territories, and communities across the Nation. For the Governor’s Challenge, all 50 states and 5 territories are engaged in the challenge and are doing ongoing work to expand and implement state-wide suicide prevention best practices for SMVF, using a public health approach.
In Spring 2022, Connecticut formed a Governor’s Challenge interagency military, Veteran, and civilian team to develop and implement a strategic action plan to prevent suicide among Service Members, Veterans, and their families (SMVF). The foundation of the Governor’s Challenge program incorporates elements from the National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Technical Package for Preventing Suicide, and the President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide. It additionally supports the goals and objectives of the CT Suicide Prevention State Plan 2025. Together, this alignment of efforts is a force multiplier in advancing the work of preventing suicide among SMVF.
With support from the national Service Members, Veterans, and Families Technical Assistance Services Center (SMVF TA Center), the CT GC Team is performing a strategic process to assess needs; determine capacity, readiness, resources and key stakeholders; plan activities; implement them; and evaluate them taking into account the special needs of the SMVF population, including those from Tribal communities.
The Governor’s Challenge requires state teams to focus on three pre-determined priority areas as follows:
Priority Area 1: Identify SMVFs and Screen for Suicide Risk: Engage Primary Care Providers and Community Based Healthcare Providers to screen for SMVF status (Ask The Question-ATQ), and to educate them on mental health resources available to SMVF populations;
Priority Area 2: Promote Connectedness and Improve Care Transitions: Promote and educate SMVFs with up-to-date resources; and
Priority Area 3: Increase Lethal Means Safety and Safety Planning: Educate SMVFs and caregivers on how to make and activate a safety plan.
Each priority area aligns with a CT Suicide Advisory Board (CTSAB) Committee connected with the goals and objectives of the CT Suicide Prevention State Plan 2025. Each CT GC Team will integrate with the aligned CTSAB committees to advocate for SMVFs, and maximize and activate resources. Some CT GC members are already members of these committees, and some will be new.
The CT Governor’s Challenge Team (CT GC Team) is co-lead by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) Prevention and Health Promotion, CT Suicide Advisory Board and the Connecticut National Guard (CTNG) Prevention Division. Members in alphabetical order include: multiple CTNG (Army and Air Force) staff, CTNG Behavioral Health Team, DMHAS-Military Support Program, DMHAS/ Advanced Behavioral Health (ABH)-Military Support Program, Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), Easterseals Veterans Rally Point, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Red Cross, State Police, United Way of Connecticut, VA Connecticut Healthcare and Wheeler Clinic. This is an open Team and new members are welcome.
211 is a free, confidential information and referral service that connects people to essential health and human services 24 hours a day, seven days a week online and over the phone. Use the 211 database to search for resources, programs, and supports for service members, veterans, and their families.
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