Blog posts with the tag "Staff Perspective"

Staff Perspective: Combatting Suicide After Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

Jennifer Nevers, LCSW

Suicide Prevention Awareness Month may have officially ended but the efforts being taken by the DoD continue to take shape. In March of 2022, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the establishment of the Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee (SPRIRC). The final report from the committee was released in February of this year and outlined specific recommendations on how the DoD can improve suicide prevention efforts in areas such as treatment access, training and education, public awareness campaigns, behavioral health staffing, research, and DoD policy and regulatory issues as a whole (Iwamasa et al., 2023).

Staff Perspective: Behavioral Health Resources I Wish I Had Known About for Suicide Prevention

Professionals and researchers across the behavioral health field agree that preventing suicide is a complex problem that must be addressed at multiple levels. In honor of Suicide Prevention Month, I’d like to reflect on a couple of resources I wish I had known about earlier and share with you some resources that the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) will release in 2024.

Practically Speaking: Behind the Episode - EBP Confessionals: We Messed Up and We Recovered From It

“What if….?” questions come up frequently as we instruct or consult on evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs). You probably recall imagining all of the worst-case scenarios when you were first learning a new treatment. Even seasoned clinicians still find themselves asking “what if…?” questions while delivering treatment. And more than once I’ve found myself faced with that scenario that I’ve been dreading for years and suddenly have to figure out “What do I do now?”

Staff Perspective: Suicide Prevention Month - In Honor of Lisa's Story

Katrice Byrd, LCSW

September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. While there is usually not one single factor that leads to these tragic losses of life. There are oftentimes so many missed opportunities for intervention. As you take the time to listen to Lisa's story, although a fictional account, realize the implications are very real. Suicide Prevention is something that requires collaboration, we can't handle it alone So ask yourself, Where will I stand in the gaps?

Staff Perspective: Moral Injury Related to the US Withdrawal from Afghanistan and a Large-Scale VA Study

A few years ago, I had the privilege of treating an Afghan interpreter who had served alongside U.S. soldiers for several years during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF); he had witnessed and directly experienced a multitude of traumas. When the U.S. decided to fully withdraw from Afghanistan in August 2021, my patient became incredibly anxious about the safety of interpreters and their families still in that country, as well as his own safety in the U.S. 

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