And the winner is…

Posted on September 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

The moment many of you have been waiting for is here! After receiving nineteen entries from small Seabee Units, Naval hospitals and clinics, Navy Operations Support Centers, CSADD Chapters and even aircraft carriers, the winners of the 2012 Suicide Prevention Public Service Announcement Contest have been chosen! With so many quality entries, it was hard to select just a single “best.” The three winning submissions are…

Navy Suicide Prevention PSA There is Hope

There is Hope – The team from the USS Ronald Reagan Media Department (CVN 76) did an outstanding job of addressing the many risk factors for suicide, illustrating that it’s never the result of a single event or factor. Relationship and/or financial problems, stress, anxiety, and uncertainty are all potential risk factors for suicidal behavior, particularly when combined with feelings of hopelessness. The video highlights these stressors while ending in a positive light by emphasizing that helping someone to realize that there is hope can also help them see that Life is Worth Living.

Navy Suicide Prevention PSA Find Your Light

Find Your Light – Leave it to CSADD to depict such a strong message with extraordinary creativity! The Save Our Sailors Chapter of the Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions Naval Medical Center San Diego again highlighted the negative perceptions that contribute to suicidal thoughts, as well as other risk factors like alcohol abuse. Illustrating the message “It’s Okay to Speak up When You’re Down,” when a Shipmate took the time to ACT, the distressed Sailors saw that their lives and stressors mattered to someone. Furthermore, the Sailors realized that someone cared enough to help them get assistance to address these issues so that they could again believe that Life is Worth Living.

Don’t Weight! It’s Okay to Speak Up When You’re Down. – This entry was filmed entirely with a Smartphone! The Navy Operational Support Center San Antonio team has a great grasp on the weight that life’s challenges can have on us, and how our responsibilities may keep us from believing that we can speak up when we’re down. The video interweaves suicide prevention resources, a visual definition of ACT, while again reinforcing that Sailors take care of Sailors.

Winners are now available for viewing by clicking the above links. They will also air on Direct to Sailor television aboard Navy ships, reaching a potential Navy and Marine Corps audience of over 145,000 daily, and will be provided to the American Forces Network and Pentagon Channel.

Bravo Zulu to all entrants! Each submission showed an immense amount of thought, time, energy and effort in promoting lives worth living among fellow Sailors. Share the winning PSA’s with your command, family and friends!

For official announcement of contest winners, visit navy.mil

For more information on the Suicide Prevention Public Service Announcement Contest, reference NAVADMIN 218/12.

For more information on Navy Suicide Prevention visit www.suicide.navy.mil

For confidential 24/7 help call the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-TALK, option 1.

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When to Take Stress Seriously

Posted on September 28, 2012 | 1 Comment

Laughter is good medicine for stress relief…but knowing which resources are appropriate when your shipmate is in distress may save a life. Trying to maintain a positive outlook and taking a moment to smile and laugh is a good practice to get from the yellow zone back to the green. However, when stressors start to pile up and have a more serious impact on our lives, professional treatment and resources may be necessary.

If your shipmate expresses thoughts of hopelessness, purposelessness, or despair, take it seriously. These statements may be subtle warning signs of potentially harmful behavior. Even if you think he or she is joking or speaking casually, statements expressing thoughts of suicide are serious. Familiarize yourself with the resources and ACT. Ask if the Sailor is thinking about suicide. Show that you Care. Don’t wait to get him or her to Treatment to receive the proper assistance (take them to the Chaplain, to medical or the ER. If immediate danger is present, call 911). And always support your shipmate by following up and checking to see how things are going–maybe a good laugh will help him or her return to a positive hopeful outlook on life.

Cartoon illustrated by Jeff Bacon, creator of Broadside for Navy Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.

For more information on Navy Suicide Prevention Awareness month, visit www.suicide.navy.mil.

For reference, see Navy Suicide Prevention’s The Truth About Sailors and Suicide.

For 24/7 assistance, call the Veterans’ Crisis Line: 1-800-273-TALK (8255), option 1 or go to www.veteranscrisisline.net

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What’s in a Word? How we Talk About Suicide

Posted on September 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

At some point as a child, an adult probably told you “it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it,” or “actions speak louder than words.” Those phrases take on new meaning when we’re discussing the topic of suicide.

Openly discussing suicide is beneficial for prevention, intervention and postvention. It sends the message that it’s not only acceptable to discuss this sensitive subject, but encouraged as a way to show support to Sailors having difficulty navigating stress on their own. But, the way we discuss it and the words we use can actually have the opposite effect if we’re not aware of best practices. Word choice can make the difference between encouraging help-seeking behavior or contributing to a Sailor’s dwindling perception of his or her life. Sometimes, our actions (being supportive, ACTing) and our words are equally important.

To support the concept of “reducing barriers,” the theme of the final week of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, fact sheets on best practices for talking about suicide are available on www.suicide.navy.mil. The information sheet, “What’s In a Word? How We Talk About Suicide,” provides guidance on responsibly discussing suicide and what to avoid: judgmental language, glamorizing deaths by suicide, oversimplifying causes, etc. Sailors, Suicide Prevention Coordinators, leaders, families and friends should become familiar with these practices to help change the culture and reduce barriers when it comes to seeking help. A version of the document will also be available for the Public Affairs and broadcast media community, to ensure responsible reporting and mitigate risk of suicide contagion (subsequent suicides following certain reporting styles).

A simple change in words, like calling an attempt non-fatal instead of “unsuccessful,” can make a difference. By knowing how to talk about suicide, and knowing when to ACT, we can continue to encourage our shipmates that “it’s okay to speak up when you’re down!”

For Suicide Prevention Awareness Month details, reference NAVADMIN 259/12, visit www.suicide.navy.mil or email caroline.miles.ctr@navy.mil

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It’s Okay to Speak Up When You’re Down

Posted on September 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

The Navy’s Operational Stress Control and Suicide Prevention programs aim to build psychological strength and resilience. With training and practical tools the programs will help Sailors and leaders better navigate operational stress and increase their capacity to withstand, recover, grow and adapt in the face of stressors and changing demands.

While September is nationally recognized as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, the effort to build resilience and emphasize that Life Counts is ongoing.  We work year-round to promote a Navy that rewards help seeking behaviors and encourages the honest discussion of concerns and challenges faced by Sailors and their families – an important first step to help mitigate operational stress and prevent suicide. We want everyone in the Navy to know “It’s Okay to Speak Up When You’re Down.”

This cartoon is by Mike Jones a Senior Chief Petty Officer who knows that stress is a part of everyday life in the Navy.  Not everyone reacts this visibly to stress so we all need to be on the watch for more subtle indicators of negative stress reactions.  If someone reacts like PR3 Smith, know how to ACT (Ask Care Treat) and to get him the appropriate and necessary help.

To view more of the OSC cartoons click here.

For more information on Suicide Prevention Awareness Month visit www.suicide.navy.mil.

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Suicide Prevention Awareness…Beyond September

Posted on September 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month—but we must maintain healthy lives year-round. Long before suicidal thoughts occur, feelings of hopelessness, irreversible failure and/or a lack of belonging set in. Those thoughts may overshadow our perception of our own strength, and evolve into a struggle that seems increasingly difficult to overcome.

That’s why—not only as Sailors, but as leaders, shipmates, family and friends—we must unite to provide a sense of appreciation and belonging. Telling just 3 people why they make a difference in your life can be just as uplifting to you as it is to them. These small seeds of hope can have a powerfully positive effect—letting others know they are an important part of our lives. This is just one of the “Seven Everyday Ways” we can promote emotional health at any time of year.

Commands can take action too. Now, with new resources available and while discussion of suicide prevention at the forefront,  it’s  a good  time to update your Crisis Response Plan (CRP) and run a drill to check its effectiveness. The Commanding Officer’s Tool Kit for Suicide Prevention is an excellent resource to jumpstart and tailor your command’s CRP.

Individuals can practice preparedness as well. With a partner (shipmate, family member, or anyone you’), practice how you’ll apply your crisis plan and ACT in a behavioral health crisis.

There are many ways we can  extend the momentum of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.   The Navy Suicide Prevention Program’s Seven Everyday Ways to Promote Suicide Prevention Awareness offers ideas and resources for individuals, commands and families to promote healthy living.  Suicide Prevention begins while we are still mission ready in the green zone—it doesn’t start when we’re already in crisis!  Use this resource as a launch pad for your own ideas on how to sustain awareness and make a difference in the lives of those around you.

To download the Information Sheet “Seven Everyday Ways to Promote Suicide Prevention Awareness,” click here.

Visit www.suicide.navy.mil for more details on Navy Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and resources.

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