• Talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself
• Trying to get pills, guns, or other ways to harm oneself
• Talking or writing about death, dying or suicide
• Hopelessness
• Rage, uncontrolled anger, seeking revenge
• Acting in a reckless or risky way
• Feeling trapped, like there is no way out
• Saying or feeling there's no reason for living.
  

How to recognize when to ask for help (MS Word) Signs, Myths and Realities

Suicide Risk Assessment Guide (pdf pocket card) 

• This month, VA has expanded on an advertising campaign that debuted in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area.  The campaign is now active in 124 cities, with advertisements on local buses.  The ads are designed to make veterans and their family members aware of the VA Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255), which is available around-the-clock, seven days a week.
• VA also has been distributing brochures, wallet cards, bumper magnets, key chains and stress balls to veterans, their families and VA employees to promote awareness of the Lifeline number and educate its employees, the community and veterans about how to identify and help those who may be at risk.  Contact a VA Suicide Prevention Coordinator for more information.  To locate a Suicide Prevention Coordinator, use the Resource Locator*

Toll-Free Suicide Prevention Lifeline

           1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Suicide Prevention Lifeline is staffed by trained
professionals 24 hours a day to help in an
immediate crisis. After one year of operation,
62,000 veterans, family members, and friends
of veterans have called the Lifeline. Of those
there have been 1,400 rescues to prevent 
possible tragedies.

VA Suicide Prevention News

• Dr. Jan Kemp*, VA National Suicide Prevention Coordinator has been selected as a finalist for the Service to America Medal, in the Citizen Services category
• Each VA Medical Center has a suicide prevention coordinator to make sure veterans receive needed counseling and services. Calls from the Lifeline are referred to those coordinators. Locate your local suicide prevention coordinator*.
• VA has hired more than 3,900 new mental health employees since 2005 – bringing our total number to more than 17,000. Of these, 400 are devoted to preventing suicide among veterans.
• VA has opened a Mental Health Center of Excellence in Canandaigua, NY, which focuses on developing and testing clinical and public health intervention standards for suicide prevention.
• A new VA Research center in Denver focuses on the clinical and neurobiological conditions that can lead to increased suicide risk.