What Can I Do?
Call to Action! Get Involved In Preventing Suicide.
People who die by suicide normally communicate their intent. As a friend, family member or loved one, you may be in the best position to recognize when someone is experiencing suicidal thoughts or at increased risk. You can notice changes in their behavior, hear them talk a certain way or see them go through situations that can be overwhelming. By listening, talking, and acting,you could save a life.
Step #1 Learn how to prevent suicide
The Missouri Governor’s Challenge Training Portal gives you free access to PsychArmor’s online, suicide prevention course S.A.V.E.
- You will develop a general understanding of the problem of suicide in the United States
- How to identify a Veteran who may be at risk for suicide
- Know what to do if you identify a Veteran at risk
Step #2 Watch our Safety Plan video and share it with others
Our brief training video intended to help individuals support someone they know who may be struggling with a suicidal crisis and has a safety plan. A safety plan is a brief intervention to help those experiencing self-harm and suicidal thoughts. It is a set of coping strategies and resources an individual can use to decrease their risk of suicidal behavior.
After watching the video, please click here for a short survey.
Step #3 Stay connected with the Missouri Governor’s Challenge
Together we can prevent suicide.
The Governor’s Challenge is Partnering with PsychArmor
The Governor’s Challenge is partnering with PsychArmor to offer free online military culture training for healthcare providers, Veterans, employers, military family members, and more.
- Sponsored by the Wounded Warrior Project, 15 Things Veterans Want You to Know is based on interviews with thousands of Veterans. They were asked what one question would they want civilians and care providers to ask. This course is based on those interviews. Presented by Heidi Squier Kraft, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist at PsychArmor and a Navy Veteran, this 16-minute course provides an overview of military culture and addresses relevant issues facing our Veterans and their families today.
- S.A.V.E. is an acronym for Signs, Ask, Validate, and Encourage/Expedite and is a brief suicide prevention intervention. Sponsored by the Wounded Warrior Project, Megan McCarthy, Ph.D., walks users through the steps in this 25-minute video. At the time of the video, she was the National Deputy Director, Suicide Prevention, US Department of Veterans Affairs but currently, she is serving as Vice President, Project 2025, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
- Funded by the National Football League Foundation, Kelly Posner, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University and Lead Scientist of the Columbia Lighthouse Project, tells users about the importance of actively preventing military members and Veterans from dying by suicide in this 13-minute video, Columbia Scale for Communities. She provides step-by-step instructions on how to use the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale or C-SSRS.
