NH Veterans Coalitions

In partnership with the Manchester VA Medical Center, The Partnership for Public Health, and New Hampshire Department of Military Affairs and Veterans Services, these stakeholders have taken on the task of preventing Veteran suicide in their communities. With technical support from the VA’s Community Based Interventions for Suicide Prevention program these groups have set out to use VA identified evidence informed strategic focus areas to directly address risk factors for Veteran suicide.

These areas include expanding the identification of service members, Veterans, and their families; to promote universal risk assessment; to expand social connectedness; to improve care transitions; to expand lethal means safety; and promote safety planning in treatment settings. Based on the experience of over 1500 coalitions nationwide and informed by extensive data collection we believe these efforts will help reduce suicide for Service Members, Veterans, and their Family (SMVF) members in our community.

These efforts can take on many forms: 

  • Hosting and facilitating suicide prevention trainings like VA SAVE, CONNECT, QPR, CALM, Psychological First Aid, and similar evidence-based or evidence informed trainings. 
     
  • Providing and hosting military culture trainings and other related trainings designed to address the strategic focus areas for Veteran suicide prevention or social determinants of health for Veterans.
  • Promoting the “Ask The Question” (ATQ) Campaign to identify SMVF in our community.
  • Expanding opportunities for social connectedness through recreation and community service.
  • Building relationships with local providers to emphasize the importance of identifying Veterans, screening for suicide, doing warm hand-offs, and safety planning/lethal means safety. 
  • Teaming up with local first responders to talk about suicide prevention, self-care, and military culture. 
  • Teaming up with local gun shops, shooting clubs, firearms instructors, and police departments to expand options for secure firearms storage when needed and to promote lethal means safety. Promoting and teaching lethal means safety for firearms and medications – the leading means of suicide by Veterans.
     

 

Lakes Region Veterans Coalition: LRVC is a coalition hosted by Camp Resilience in Gilford, NH. Lakes Region Veterans Coalition: LRVC is a coalition hosted by Camp Resilience in Gilford, NH. www.lrvcnh.org, Contact: Kurt Webber, kwebber@camp-resilience.org 

Stronger Together – Greater Nashua Veteran Suicide Prevention Coalition: is a coalition for Veteran suicide prevention for the greater Nashua area. It is based out of Milford, NH at the Addiction Recovery Coalition of NH.  www.arcnh.org, Contact: Gray Somers, gsomers@arcnh.org

Greater Manchester Veteran Suicide Prevention Coalition: Hosted by ForgeVFR and Easter Seals.     Contact: Sean Kilbreth, skilbreth@forgehealth.org, Stephanie Higgs, shiggs@eastersealsnh.org 
 

Granite Hope - Sullivan County Veteran Suicide Prevention Coalition: Hosted by West Central Behavioral Health in Claremont. Meetings are usually virtual. www.wcbh.org. Contact: Bill Metcalfe, wmetcalfe@wcbh.org

Seacoast Veteran Suicide Prevention Coalition: Hosted by the Seacoast Public Health Network in Raymond, NH. www.seacoastpnh.org. Contact: Samantha Areson, sareson@seacoastphn.org 

Carroll County Veterans Coalition: Hosted by Carroll County Coalition for Public Health in Ossipee, NH. www.carrollcountyveteranscoalition.org, Contact: Jen Thomas, jennifer.thomas@graniteuw.org 

Central New Hampshire Coalition: Hosted by Central New Hampshire CADY Inc. in Plymouth, NH.       Contact: Jen Hunter, jennifer.hunter@graniteuw.org and Andrea Rogers, crvcnh@gmail.com 

Capitol Area Veteran Suicide Prevention Coalition:  Hosted by the Capitol Area Public Health Network in Concord. Contact: Ashley Sullivan, ashley.sullivan@graniteuw.org; Vanessa Healy, Vanessa.Healy@graniteuw.org; Cailynn Aumock, Cailynn.Aumock@graniteuw.org 
 

New number. Same Support: Veterans Crisis Line: 988 then press 1.
New Hampshire Rapid Response: 988 and call/text: (833) 710-6477.
If the safety of self or others is at risk please call 911.

More information about suicide prevention for Veterans in New Hampshire:
Suicide Prevention in New Hampshire | NH Suicide Prevention Council (preventsuicidenh.org)