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 27