According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, approximately 22 veterans commit suicide every day. This national rate is being combated by the Veterans Crisis Line at the Canandaigua Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
The line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and provides support for veterans who are struggling with various types of distress. Kelly Mohrman, suicide prevention coordinator at the Canandaigua VA medical center says that veterans can be reluctant to reach out for help.
“It’s not a sign of weakness, it actually takes a lot of strength to admit that you need help,” Mohrman says.
The center’s services range from talking on the phone to providing medical care and behavioral examinations for veterans and their families. With the suicide rate for veterans in mind, the nearly 300 responders on the center’s Crisis Line have helped in almost 7,000 rescues during the first half of this year.
The Canandaigua VA medical center, which also has a caregiver’s hotline, a homeless hotline, and a homeless women’s hotline, has taken more than 28 thousand calls since January.
The hotline number is 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1. Help is also available via confidential online chat at http://veteranscrisisline.net/ or text message at 838255.