Partnership set to leverage expertise that will bolster the life-saving services both already provide
Stop Soldier Suicide (SSS) and The Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF) recently engaged in a partnership that will promote the sharing of expertise in the mission to save the lives of American service members and veterans at risk for suicide, many of whom have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
According to data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, more than 400,000 service members were diagnosed with a TBI from 2000-2019. Over that same period of time, more than 120,000 U.S. veterans died by suicide.
Adding a partner like CLF to SSS’ proven model of personalized, holistic, trauma-informed care brings a new level of expertise in addressing a condition that many of its clients battle. On the flip side, in SSS, CLF now has a dedicated military suicide intervention resource on which it can lean for clients identified as being at risk of taking their own lives.
“This is an exciting partnership, not only because of the similarities of our missions but also because of the potential to further understand some of the correlations between TBI’s, CTE, and suicide,” said Charles Eastman (U.S. Army (Ret.)), Director of Strategic Partnerships at Stop Soldier Suicide.
“The litany of available data on the link between suicide and TBI speaks for itself, and it’s important to understand how physical ailments may lead to suicidal ideation. This partnership will empower both SSS and CLF to better serve their clients when the need arises.”
Under the framework of the partnership, which has kicked off during National Suicide Prevention Month, providers from both SSS and CLF will refer clients to one another when deemed likely to benefit from the other’s services.
The organizations also hope to collaborate on data analysis related to TBI and suicide, using anonymized data sets with PII removed.
For more information on Stop Soldier Suicide and The Concussion Legacy Foundation, visit StopSoldierSuicide.org and ConcussionFoundation.org, respectively.
About the Concussion Legacy Foundation:
The Concussion Legacy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in the United States with chapters in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. It was founded by Robert Cantu, MD, and Chris Nowinski, PhD to support athletes, veterans and all affected by concussions and CTE, to promote smarter sports and safer athletes through education and innovation, and End CTE through prevention and research. CLF is a proud supporter of and collaborator with the Boston University CTE Center. For more information, please visit ConcussionFoundation.org.
About Stop Soldier Suicide
Stop Soldier Suicide (SSS) is the only national nonprofit focused solely on reducing the military suicide rate. Our vision is a nation where service members and veterans have no greater risk of suicide than any other American. The goal of SSS is to reduce military and veteran suicide rates by 40 percent no later than 2030, effectively saving more than 2,400 lives per year. In 2021 alone, SSS saved almost 150 lives, the equivalent of an entire U.S. infantry company. Headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, SSS was co-founded in 2010 by three Army veterans amid the worst suicide crisis our military has ever seen. From its humble beginnings as a living room crisis phone line, SSS has grown over the last decade into the most innovative suicide intervention effort the country with a staff of more than 60 people. Today, SSS provides consistent, confidential, trauma-informed care for U.S. service members and veterans at highest risk for suicide through its one-of-a-kind suicide intervention model, innovative use of data insights, and a technology-first approach. These services are all provided completely free of charge to our clients, regardless of period served or discharge status. To learn more or to donate, please visit StopSoldierSuicide.org.
September 7, 2022