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LEWISTOWN -- In an effort to raise awareness of issues faced by veterans, a local organization is offering resources to educate the public.
The Veterans Affairs' S.A.V.E training is designed to help people use care and compassion in the event that they encountered a veteran who is in crisis or experiencing suicidal thoughts.
The training will be hosted by Together With Veterans Mifflin-Juniata-Huntingdon and will be held 6 to 9 p.m. July 20 at the Lewistown Courthouse Annex.
"Many news sources show that suicide rate among veterans is higher than that of the general population," explained Scott Specht, veteran and coordinator for Together With Veterans. He explained that the goal of hosting this training is to make people more aware of the importance of recognizing these issues, and also ensuring people are comfortable with handling and de-escalating these situations.
The four steps for suicide prevention are: Signs of suicidal thinking should be recognized, Ask the most important question, Validate the veteran's experience, Encourage treatment and expedite getting them help. These steps are crucial in saving lives.
Together With Veterans is a veteran-led, community-based suicide prevention program for veterans. TWV works to build and strengthen partnerships between veterans and their communities to implement a plan for community-based suicide prevention. The TWV program follows a comprehensive public health approach and is aligned with the US Department of Veterans Affairs' National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide.
The acronym S.A.V.E. is used to help people remember the life-saving steps involved in suicide prevention.
Together With Veterans participates in many local events. Recently, they have been at the Overdose Awareness event, and many of Lewistown's First Fridays. "We would like to set up at the local fairs; it's another good opportunity to bring awareness to the community," said Specht.
The public is also invited to attend.
For more information, call Specht at (717) 348-5729, or find the link to the live-stream on Facebook at Together With Veterans of Mifflin-Juniata-Huntingdon.