By Kacy Mixon, M.S., LMFT
In honor of National Suicide Prevention week, our featured resource raises awareness about suicide or…
“one of the most complex and urgent problems facing our military families…”
~Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, June 22, 2012
The Department of Defense (DoD) recently released a Crisis Support Guide for Military Families providing information on how they can help Service members struggling with thoughts of or symptoms connected to suicide ideation. The guide is housed on the Defense Suicide Prevention Office (DSPO) website and can be electronically downloaded.
Suicide is a hard topic for most people to comprehend, so this family guide provides an introductory look at reasons for and prevalence of suicide. It also gives strategies that families can implement to help their military loved ones connect to needed mental health services. Resources, referrals, and tips on how to build a resilient family are also included in the guide, as well as answers to questions such as:
- Will asking for help negatively impact my loved one’s military career?
- Shouldn’t my loved one be able to cope with the problems him/herself?
- What if my loved one feels that seeing a counselor means he/she is weak or broken?
This resource can be a useful tool that professionals can offer to military families with whom they work.
This post was written by Kacy Mixon, M.S., LMFT, Social Media Specialist. She is a member of the MFLN Family Development (FD) team which aims to support the development of professionals working with military families. Find out more about the Military Families Learning Network FD concentration on our website, on Facebook, on Twitter, YouTube, and on LinkedIn.