2019 Awareness Day Final Report 2019_ADay_FinaReport_FINAL_pages | Page 27

aims to ensure support for military families and
their children through an array of health services
and supports, and Awareness Day provided an
opportunity to discuss some of these resources—
not only for the Awareness Day audience but also
for any members of the military community who
may not be aware of the help available.
SUICIDE PREVENTION
STRATEGIES FOR CHILDREN AND
YOUTH IN MILITARY FAMILIES
“We ask a lot of our military families—months and sometimes
years apart, short-notice deployments of a parent to a
faraway location, frequent moves around the world—all
of which result in changes in friendships, teachers, and
neighbors. The military community is learning ways to talk
with children about how they feel and whether they harbor
thoughts of self-harm. It is important for families to talk,
listen, and seek care for their children.”
— GUY KIYOKAWA
Deputy Director, Defense Health Agency,
U.S. Department of Defense
At Awareness Day, Guy Kiyokawa, deputy
director of the Defense Health Agency within
the Department of Defense (DOD), shared
information about DOD’s programs to prevent
suicide among military families and children.
Including military children and families as part of
Awareness Day was important due to the many
challenges these children and families face, as
well as their elevated risk for suicide. SAMHSA
Kiyokawa stressed the value of the Military Crisis
Line (1–800–273–8255), which SAMHSA created
with DOD to serve America’s veterans, military, and
their family members. The Military Crisis Line is
free, confidential, and available
24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Crisis Line helps
parents understand what to ask and where to find
help for their children.
DOD also encourages military parents and
children to engage immediately with primary
care physicians and embedded mental health
providers through same-day appointments at
mental health clinics and other health care sources,
including network providers, urgent care clinics, or
emergency departments.
“In deployed environments, we introduced the
concept of embedded behavioral health—where
mental health counselors are made part of the
primary care team,” Kiyokawa said.
Kiyokawa also explained that military parents
can contact DOD’s Military OneSource network at
1–800–342–9647 or www.militaryonesource.mil for
around-the-clock access to non-medical counselors
or Military Family Life Consultants assigned to
military installations.
SUICIDE PREVENTION: STRATEGIES THAT WORK
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