PsychArmor launches Standing the Watch suicide prevention program
Cigna grant funds San Diego program to encourage safe storage of firearms for Veterans
SAN DIEGO, CA - PsychArmor has released two new courses on the safe storage of firearms to address suicide prevention strategies in the military-connected community. Funded by Cigna, the courses are part of a larger public health campaign in San Diego County to include live events and webinars focused on the importance of lethal means safety as an a necessary component of suicide prevention. One course is designed for the military-connected community, while the other offers training specific to medical professionals. Both are available free online to individual learners at www.psycharmor.org.
The first course, Suicide Prevention and the Safe Storage of Firearms in the Military-Connected Community: Conversations for Everyone provides critical information for members of every community about the safe storage of firearms. This short course, jointly narrated by four people from different cultures – including military Veterans, non-Veterans, gun owners, non-gun owners, and clinical psychologists – aims to reduce the stigma found in talking about suicide and firearms.
The second course, Firearms & Suicide in the Military-Connected Community: 5 Things Medical Professionals Need to Know, is narrated by two clinical psychologists. Dr. Ted Bonar and Dr. Heidi Kraft discuss the importance of including conversations about lethal means accessibility – specifically firearms – during safety planning in all types of clinical encounters. They define the scope of the problem, dispel some widely held misconceptions, and explain why military and Veterans firearm owners have unique beliefs about weapons, crisis, and safe storage.
Both courses are part of Standing the Watch: Suicide Prevention in San Diego’s Military-Connected Community, a public health campaign to provide organizations, businesses, and agencies based in San Diego County with suicide prevention resources to reduce suicide risk among the military-connected population and increase access to mental health services for Veterans who are in crisis. If you are interested in a live or virtual event featuring these resources, please contact support@psycharmor.org.
As a leading non profit provider on military culture awareness, PsychArmor is committed to suicide prevention for Veterans and military. “We know that safe storage of firearms is a proven suicide prevention strategy and that honest conversations are important for everyone in the military-connected community,” says Dr. Heidi Kraft, PsychArmor’s Chief Clinical Officer. “In particular, clinicians will understand the importance of the intersection between military culture and the culture of firearm owners, and approach their Veteran patients with confidence around these critically important conversations.”
PsychArmor is a national nonprofit specializing in military cultural awareness that harnesses the power of education and scalable technology for social good, delivering easily accessible online courses, at no cost to the individual learner. Presented by over 100 subject matter experts, PsychArmor’s 200+ online courses have been viewed over 1.32 million times, assisting service members, Veterans, military families, healthcare providers, employers, educators, frontline workers, caregivers, and volunteers.
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, contact Carole Turner, cturner@psycharmor.org.
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