Veterans, their friends and families, and community members are invited to learn more about suicide prevention at the Lethal Means Safety Summit, hosted on behalf of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs and Commissioner Whitney Allen on Wednesday, May 20, in Louisville.
“We teach things like ‘Military Culture 101,’” said KDVA Director for State Programs Millie Dee Stevens. “We also have someone coming that’s going to teach on CALM. It’s on firearms safety, how you can prevent suicides by participating in firearm safety procedures and methods.”
The summit will also feature discussions on “post-vention.”
“How to help families once there has been a death by suicide in their family, then how to manage to get through the most severe part of grieving,” Stevens said.
The AMVETS One bus, which travels the country to educate on suicide awareness for veterans, will also be appearing at the event.
Stevens said veterans often have a difficult time asking for help after leaving the service, and the summit is part of efforts to fight stigma.
“It’s a very hard transition, and it’s something not to be ashamed of,” Stevens said. “it’s something that every military veteran will go through in some form or other, and learning the signals, learning to watch for them, learning to notice when things change, it’s very critical toward preventing suicide among our veterans.”
The event is free and open to all. The summit will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1650 Lyndon Farm Court in Lyndon. Contact Stevens or visit the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs Facebook page for more information.
