More Than 10K Learners Complete PsychArmor’s Free Course: V.A. S.A.V.E.: Preventing Caregiver Suicide 

San Diego, CA - PsychArmor’s course on preventing caregiver suicide has trained more than 10,000 learners since its release in November 2021.  The course’s impact extends to an additional 5K who accessed the course landing page and resources.  According to a recent Rand study, there are more than 14.3 million people in America caring for wounded, ill, or injured service members or Veterans. V.A. S.A.V.E.: Preventing Caregiver Suicide fulfills the 2024 Military and Veteran Caregivers Study’s call  ‘to increase mental health care to caregivers and their families.” Created in partnership with the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), the course is available free to all individual learners at www.psycharmor.org. 

Narrated by Melissa Comeau, Director of Military and Veteran Caregiver Network at The American Red Cross, and Dr. Heidi Kraft, Chief Clinical Officer at PsychArmor, the course addresses the issue of caregiver suicide. Learners will develop an understanding of the increased risk for suicide in military and Veteran caregivers, be able to identify the signs of an at-risk Veteran caregiver, and learn the steps to take to help a Veteran caregiver at risk for suicide. The S.A.V.E. model involves watching for Signs, Asking direct questions, Validating experiences, and Expediting help. 

“The recent Rand report supports our extensive work to address the mental health and well-being of caregivers,” says PsychArmor CEO Dr. Tina Atherall. PsychArmor’s School for Military Veteran Caregivers and Families launched in September of 2016 and currently includes 45 training courses. More than 85,000 learners have completed over 231,524 caregiver training courses since its inception, with 96% of the caregiver learners reporting that they implemented positive changes in their behavior as a result of the training. 

“This just hit so close to home. When I became a caregiver in 2010, there was so much emphasis on the soldier, not the caregiver. My soldier's injuries were not physical, but mental. It was such a difficult time. I'm so happy that so many good things are being done for the caregivers/spouses of Veterans. Thank you so much.”

“I think Caregiver suicide prevention is a critical one in assisting with managing care and signs and symptoms of suicidal depression tendencies, and prevention is important in saving a Veteran’s life. The training hits home because sometimes the family member or friend can't recognize the warning signs until it is too late, and the person had suicidal tendencies all along.”

PsychArmor is a San Diego-based national nonprofit and preferred training provider transforming the way our nation engages with military and Veteran communities. Their team of clinical psychologists, veterans, military, and leaders in the private and public sector offer learning from continuing education to customized training, through a rich ecosystem--including online courses, curricula, podcasts, webinars, live speaking engagements, social media and more. Their focus on caregiver support for military-connected communities includes a robust portfolio of online training including the popular Military Caregiver Recognition Award and Resource Binder. 

For media inquiries or interview requests, please contact Carole Turner at cturner@psycharmor.org.

About PsychArmor 

PsychArmor is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation providing education and support to individuals and organizations that work with, live with, and care for American service members, Veterans, and their families. For more information about PsychArmor, contact Carole Turner, Senior Advisor, PsychArmor, at cturner@psycharmor.org. 

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