Suicide prevention among veterans and service members remains a critical priority across the country.

In Missouri, the Governor’s Challenge is bringing together leaders from multiple agencies to strengthen support for service members, veterans, and their families. Jon Sabala joins us to explain how the program works and the steps being taken to make a lasting difference in the lives of those who have served.

Listen to the interview at MissouriNet.

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About Missouri’s 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a three-digit number for anyone experiencing emotional distress or going through a mental health, substance misuse, or suicide crisis. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to offer you free and confidential support whenever you need it.

Contacting 988 provides rapid access to crisis services through a trained crisis specialist. They will work with you to address your immediate needs, offer support, and connect you with local resources and services, if needed.

Missouri follows national best practices by providing crisis services in three ways:

• Someone to talk to: 988 crisis specialists accept all calls, texts, and chats. They help with the immediate need and can connect people to resources for ongoing help.
• Someone to respond: If help from 988 is not enough, mobile crisis response staff can meet the person where they are in the community and provide in-person help.
• Somewhere to go: If a person needs more help than mobile crisis response can provide, they can go to a crisis center. Crisis centers provide more intense help for up to 23 hours and can usually help the person avoid being hospitalized.

To learn more visit Missouri 988.

About the Veterans Crisis Line

When you connect with the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL), you are connecting with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ crisis services. Just like Missouri’s 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, the Veterans Crisis Line is free and confidential.

The VCL can be accessed through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline; when prompted, Veterans press 1. Veterans may still reach the Veterans Crisis Line with the previous phone number—1-800-273-8255 and Press 1—by text (838255), and through chat (VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat).

If you or the Veteran or service member you’re concerned about is in danger, the VCL responder (a trained crisis specialist) will help you get through the crisis and then connect you with the services you need, either from your local VA medical center or elsewhere in your community. If you decide to share contact information, the suicide prevention coordinator at the nearest VA medical center will contact you by the next business day for continued support.

To learn more visit Veterans Crisis Line.

Missouri 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and the Veterans Crisis Line are similar. Both crisis care systems provide free and confidential services, staffed with trained crisis specialists who will help you get through the crisis and connect you to resources, if needed.

However, there are a couple of differences between the two crisis systems.

• The responders working for the Veterans Crisis Line receive training in the military culture. For those looking to talk with someone who understands military life and the stressors it can bring, VCL may be right for you.
• If you receive care through the VA, contacting the Veterans Crisis line will keep you connected with VA care.
• Missouri 988 crisis specialists are knowledgeable about Missouri-specific services and resources. Crisis specialists can connect with other crisis services, make referrals to local services, or share community resources.

It is worth mentioning that Missouri is currently working on developing trainings for crisis specialists when working with special populations, including Veterans and service members.

Should you call the Missouri 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or the Veterans Crisis Line? Both will help individuals in crisis or emotional distress. What really matters is that you reach out.

Together, we can all help prevent suicide.

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Suicide has no single cause. People at higher risk of suicide may be experiencing life stressors such as relationship problems, legal issues, loss of a place to live, lack of social support (isolation), and financial troubles to name a few. For some, the emotional distress brought on from life’s stressors can be so painful or overwhelming, they believe suicide is the only way to end it. There is no “one thing” people can do to end suicide—but prevention is possible.

Use this month to help raise awareness about the impact suicide is having on Missouri’s service members, veterans, and their families. Your voice can help normalize the conversation around suicide. If you are attending an event, health fair, or training related to preventing suicide, share it on social media. Consider sharing a photo of the event explaining how much you enjoyed it, what you learned, or how others can get involved.

Learn more about prevention. People who receive suicide prevention training learn to recognize the stressors that can increase someone’s risk of suicide and how to talk openly about it. Make time to attend an online or in person suicide prevention course. You can access no cost, in person training through our Training page.

Another way you can be a part of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, is to take our Missouri Governor’s Challenge state team’s Call to Action. It is three simple steps you can take to help save a life. Being informed can help challenge the stigma surrounding suicide, allowing us to start real conversations. Suicide prevention training can also give people the confidence to support friends, family, and colleagues in distress.

Follow us on social media and stay connected as the Missouri Governor’s Challenge state team explores ways to prevent suicide among Missouri’s service members, veterans and their families.

We hope you take time out this September to participate in Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Help raise awareness about the impact suicide is having on Missouri’s service members, veterans, and their families. Learn about how to help prevent suicide and stay connected with us. Thank you for being part of a movement to help save lives.

Together, we can all help prevent suicide.

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After pitching several ideas, the team decided to focus on military-connected families for the theme of 2026. The state team will spend the next few months finalizing plans, ensuring they have feasible steps that can make a positive change in preventing suicide.

The state team has representatives from the Office of the Governor, Missouri Department of Mental Health, Missouri Veterans Commission, Safer Homes Collaborative, Missouri AgrAbility, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 15, American Legion Department of Missouri, Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, Compass Health Network, Missouri Behavioral Health Council, Office of State Courts Administrator, Missouri National Guard, Missouri Department of Corrections, University of Missouri-St. Louis Missouri Institute of Mental Health, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Missouri Primary Care Association, and Higginsville Habilitation Center.

A heartfelt “thank you” to the assistance of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Agency’s (SAMHSA’s) Technical Assistance (TA) Center staff, Angela and Deann, who provided technical support for this event.

Together, we can all help prevent suicide.

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On July 9, 2025, the Missouri Veterans Commission released its inaugural Veteran Suicide Prevention report, as required by Senate Bill 912 and House Bill 1495. The report is titled “Left of Boom,” which in military terms describes the period of time before an incident occurs, where proactive measures can be put into place to prevent or mitigate a life-threatening event such as an attack, explosion, or crisis. The nine-page report details the intent, planning framework, and implementation strategies to be used to help curb Veteran suicides in Missouri. A key finding was the ongoing battle with the stigma surrounding mental health struggles and reaching out for help for Veterans.

The report can be found on MVC’s website mvc.dps.mo.gov. In conjunction with the Missouri Department of Mental Health, MVC’s Suicide Prevention Manager, Lindsey Ward, gathered information over eight months and began to decipher the barriers Veterans face concerning mental health. The report details how Veterans face higher rates of mental health challenges and suicide compared with non-Veterans, and the shocking statistic that 42.6 of every 100,000 Missouri Veterans died by suicide in 2022. The national average for Veteran suicide of 34.7 of every 100,000 is already alarmingly high compared to non-Veterans. The report also details the strategies MVC plans to implement to help reduce these numbers in the coming years.

“I am excited to see this report come to fruition,” said Representative Dave Griffith. “Last year, when the Veterans Omnibus Bill was signed, we began the journey to understand the factors involved with Veteran suicide and can now work to enact changes to help decrease the number of incidences we see in Missouri.”

“We are proud to present the inaugural ‘Left of Boom’ report,” says MVC Executive Director (Ret.) Col. Paul Kirchhoff. “Our Suicide Prevention Manager, Lindsey Ward, has worked tirelessly, in conjunction with other stakeholders, to collect the information we need to adapt to the changing landscape of this issue, and to start putting into action the strategies needed to understand and prevent Veteran Suicide.”

The Missouri Veterans Commission was charged with creating a new program, to aid in efforts to prevent Veteran suicide and to create a report each year outlining recommendations and procedures, programs, and other assistance MVC considers necessary to assist in efforts to prevent Veteran suicides. Additional information can be found in RSMo 42.022.

The Missouri Veterans Commission operates seven State Veterans Homes, five Veterans Cemeteries, Veterans Services Program and the Veterans Suicide Prevention Program. The Commission is committed to providing high-quality, compassionate care for Veterans, seamlessly integrated with the Veteran community, emphasizing a culture of transparency and excellence. For more information about Missouri Veterans Commission programs, call 573-751-3779 or visit mvc.dps.mo.gov.

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Challenge coins are a long-standing military tradition. The team created the coin to recognize achievements and support in preventing suicide among Missouri’s military-connected community. Team members and their respective agency leadership received Challenge Coins to acknowledge their commitment to suicide prevention efforts. In the future, team members will award Challenge Coins to Missourians who demonstrate excellence in suicide prevention for SMVF. The coins were purchased with private donations.

There are several stories that explain the origin and tradition of the Challenge Coin, some dating as far back as World War I. It was originally used as a symbol of belonging to a military unit, however, it has grown over the years to recognize excellence.

Missouri established a Governor’s Challenge team in 2021 under Governor Mike Parson’s leadership. The Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide among SMVF is a nonpartisan, state interagency team, created to collaborate, plan, and implement suicide prevention best practices and policies across the state.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services-Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration originally launched the national initiative to bring together leaders of state and community governments to prevent suicide among SMVF.

The Missouri Governor’s Challenge Team consists of members from the Governor’s Office, Department of Mental Health, Missouri Veterans Commission, Office of the State Courts Administrator, Missouri National Guard, Department of Corrections, Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development, American Legion – Missouri, Compass Health Network, Missouri AgrAbility, Missouri Behavioral Health Council, Missouri Institute of Mental Health – Safer Homes Collaborative, Missouri Suicide Prevention Network, University of Missouri Extension – Health and Human Sciences, Higginsville Habilitation Center, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Stay connected on Facebook, X, and Instagram: @MOGovChallenge.

To learn more about the state team’s efforts: www.mogovchallenge.com

For more information contact info@mogovchallenge.com.

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Larry Griffin, American Legion Post 230 Commander, contacted the Missouri Department of Mental Health’s Veterans Services office and requested suicide prevention for their meeting. He discussed how suicide prevention was an important topic and that he wanted to share this training with the posts of District 6. Larry was connected with a member of the Missouri Veterans Suicide Prevention Team.

The Missouri Veterans Suicide Prevention Team (MOVSPT) is a network of volunteer service members, Veterans, and military family members that provide NO COST, in person suicide prevention training. MOVSPT trainers are certified in Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Gatekeeper training, a nationally recognized course that is proven to help save lives. QPR is a one-hour course where participants learn to: recognize the warning signs of suicide, provide hope for the individual in crisis, and connect the person to immediate help.

Thank you, American Legion District 6, for hosting this much needed training. A special thank you to Commander Larry Griffin for inviting MOVSPT and helping to raise awareness about suicide.

If your organization is interested in hosting this no cost, suicide prevention training, contact a MOVSPT trainer today.

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This year, national speakers and state teams presented on several topics and programs that address suicide prevention for SMVF. A few of the topics include transitioning to civilian life, supporting homeless veterans, suicide data, suicide mortality review, justice involved veterans, American Indian & Alaska Native (AIAN) veterans, sustainability strategies, and lethal means safety. It was great to see such a diverse range of topics and programs, all focusing on saving lives.

Not all discussions were focused on suicide prevention solutions. Several of the teams reported on similar barriers to addressing suicide prevention including funding for programs, transportation issues, delays in suicide data reporting, informing SMVF on existing programs/services, and challenges with sustaining volunteer networks. These discussions typically ended with team representatives sharing creative ideas on how to address these barriers.

The Innovation Conference was a fantastic experience. The conference was a great way to showcase successful suicide prevention strategies while allowing state teams to have open discussion on how to grow suicide prevention work. The Missouri Governor’s Challenge state team will use these lessons learned to bring new SMVF suicide prevention strategies to Missouri.

The post Innovations Conference first appeared on Missouri's Governors Challenge Portal.

Faith leaders are the first responders to family crisis. As such, the state team explored ways to enhance suicide prevention tools and resources available to faith leaders. There are several types of tools available nationally that people can download and use on their own, which was great to see. Our team felt one way we can contribute to their prevention work was to bring in-person training at no cost to faith leaders across the state. This is what started the faith community training project.

The state team established a work group of faith leaders from Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri National Guard, national VA, Kansas City VA, local community congregation, and community partners, to help create the faith community training guide. Together, they created a guide that any congregation across the state will be able to download and use to host a day of suicide prevention training for other faith leaders, officers, and their staff.

The guide itself includes agenda with four key topics: exposure to the military culture, Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training,  Conversations on Suicide Safer Homes lethal means safety training, and a panel discussion with different federal, state, and community resources. The guide has specific points of contacts for trainers, speakers, and panelists. It also includes brief explanations about how the different topics align with faith leader’s roles in their congregations and how it can help prevent suicide. There are pre- and post-training surveys to assist in gathering the impact the training has on attendees. The guide ends with additional resources and ways to continue professional growth in preventing suicide among Missouri’s military-connected community. The skills and tools learned in this day of training can also be used with the general public.

Next steps for the team are to review the surveys from the May 1^st training, make any adjustments needs to the guide, then test the new version by hosting a day of training in Kansas City in a few months. The Missouri Governor’s Challenge state team’s goal is to make the Faith Community Training Guide available for use before the end of 2025.

About the Missouri Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families (SMVF). The state team is part of a national initiative created in partnership between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The Governor’s Challenge is a call to action, asking federal, state, and community interagency teams to embark on a process of collaborating, planning, and implementing suicide prevention best practices and policies for SMVF state-wide. Learn more about the Missouri Governor’s Challenge state team at www.mogovchallenge.org

A special thank you to American Legion Post 5 in Jefferson City, for the use of your venue to host the day of training. Your Chef provided a fantastic lunch meal. Thank you – HOAH!

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As the Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) overseeing the Ozark Center’s Veteran Integration Program (VIP) since 2018, Roger has profoundly impacted the lives of countless veterans across Southwest Missouri. He created a comprehensive directory of veteran resources and has acted as a liaison between community organizations and state agencies to address healthcare, housing and employment needs. His ability to empathize with veterans’ reluctance to seek help, shaped by his own experiences, allows him to effectively break down barriers to recovery and foster trust within the community. In addition to his community-level work, Roger has represented veterans’ interests on state and national platforms — from lobbying with Missouri legislators to traveling to Washington, D.C. to advocate for veteran policies. His media appearances on television and radio, including discussions on PTSD, suicide prevention and stigma reduction have educated the public and amplified the voices of veterans. 

Through all his efforts, Roger demonstrates a unique combination of competence, humility and authenticity. By openly sharing his own mental health journey, he provides hope and encouragement to those facing similar struggles. His tireless work ensures that veterans feel seen, supported and empowered to pursue recovery. Roger’s contributions have not only transformed the lives of individual veterans but have also strengthened the broader mental health and support networks across Missouri.

If you’re interested in more information about Ozark Center’s VIP program, here is a link: https://freemanhealth.com/ozarkcenter/specialty/services-for-veterans

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