Trending...
- Lineus Medical Receives Patent for SafeBreak® Vascular Generation 2
- Guests Can Save 10 Percent Off New Vacation Rental Homes at KeysCaribbean's Village at Hawks Cay Villas
- Paylode Acquired by Moved to Power the Next Generation of Ancillary Revenue Automation
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Although COVID seems to be the current war the world is fighting, a bigger enemy is on America's home front for service members and Veterans: suicide. From July to September of 2021, 163 service members died by suicide, nearly doubling the number of those who died by COVID since the inception of the pandemic.
"Isolation, inactivity, and traumatic events are some of the many risk factors for post-9/11 Veterans and service members," said Sarah Verardo, Chief Executive Officer of The Independence Fund. "Making mental health resources readily available needs to be a top priority."
When a service member returns from war, for many, the fight has only just begun. Mental health among Veterans and the military community continues to have a negative stigma. 20 Veterans a day die by suicide, totaling over 6,000 per year. Each death by suicide impacts over 130 other people, meaning nearly 800,000 people are impacted each year from Veteran Suicide.
The problem is especially acute for combat Veterans. While the overall Veteran suicide rate is 1.5 to 2.5 times greater than the non-Veteran suicide rate, for combat Veterans, especially younger combat Veterans, it is very severe – for 18–24-year-old combat deployed Veterans, the suicide rate is 3 to 4 times higher than the overall Veteran suicide rate, and 7 to 8 times higher than the non-Veteran overall suicide rates.
More on ncarol.com
The Independence Fund is working to change that through their Operation RESILIENCY (OpRES) program. "We have seen that through connectivity and reuniting our Veterans who have shared traumatic experiences together, they gain the peer-to-peer support, confidence, resources, and resiliency skills to reach out to get help when they need it," said Sam Johnson, Executive Vice President of The Independence Fund. "We do this by placing Veterans in a safe place to communicate their struggles, triggers, and transition."
Operation RESILIENCY reunites tactical combat military units who survived traumatic experiences together during their deployment and have been affected by Veteran suicide once home. Relying on the trust and brotherhood forged in combat, military units gather in formation to address their next, and most important mission on the home front: preventing Veteran suicide.
"Engagement is the key. In partnership with the VA, OpRES targets specific military units with the highest suicide risks. Our mission is to provide psycho-educational training retreats for at-risk Veterans and their families and then progressively transition them into other programs, such as adaptive sports, or VA or Department of Defense mental health treatment, for them to regain their independence and a new lease on life," said Verardo.
More on ncarol.com
Since 2019, The Independence Fund has been proud to include active-duty service members and the unit's Iraqi and Afghan interpreter(s) in the reunions, as they served alongside U.S. service members in combat and now fight alongside our Veterans on the home front. OpRES attendees participate in a four-day retreat and leave with tools and resources to use when the load gets too heavy. The peer support model focuses on admitting that, "it's OK to not be OK."
"The issue is connection," said Johnson. "The Veterans Crisis Line, Coaching into Care, Make the Connection.net, and SAVE suicide prevention training are great resources. Operation RESILIENCY will take those resources directly to at-risk Veterans with laser-guided precision through retreats, training, and awareness under the umbrella of comradery with their fellow service members to ensure no connection is lost."
Units can be nominated for the OpRES program on The Independence Fund's website. Veterans who are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, and those who know a Veteran in crisis, can call the Veterans Crisis Line at 800-273-8255 for confidential crisis intervention and support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Contact:
Ashley Skinner
[email protected]
SOURCE The Independence Fund
"Isolation, inactivity, and traumatic events are some of the many risk factors for post-9/11 Veterans and service members," said Sarah Verardo, Chief Executive Officer of The Independence Fund. "Making mental health resources readily available needs to be a top priority."
When a service member returns from war, for many, the fight has only just begun. Mental health among Veterans and the military community continues to have a negative stigma. 20 Veterans a day die by suicide, totaling over 6,000 per year. Each death by suicide impacts over 130 other people, meaning nearly 800,000 people are impacted each year from Veteran Suicide.
The problem is especially acute for combat Veterans. While the overall Veteran suicide rate is 1.5 to 2.5 times greater than the non-Veteran suicide rate, for combat Veterans, especially younger combat Veterans, it is very severe – for 18–24-year-old combat deployed Veterans, the suicide rate is 3 to 4 times higher than the overall Veteran suicide rate, and 7 to 8 times higher than the non-Veteran overall suicide rates.
More on ncarol.com
- Bent Danholm Lists Contemporary Lakefront Residence in Winter Garden's Avalon Cove
- Safe Health Zones: A Global Breakthrough to Protect Night-Shift Workers from Preventable Harm
- ProfileSpider Launches Powerful One-Click Profile Scraper for Recruiters and Growth Teams
- NATCO Awarded U.S. Patent for Persimonal® – Breakthrough Innovation in Preparing Persimmon Leaf Extract
- Little Wheels Adds Parent Recording to Vehicle Tales, Turning Bedtime Stories into Family Keepsakes
The Independence Fund is working to change that through their Operation RESILIENCY (OpRES) program. "We have seen that through connectivity and reuniting our Veterans who have shared traumatic experiences together, they gain the peer-to-peer support, confidence, resources, and resiliency skills to reach out to get help when they need it," said Sam Johnson, Executive Vice President of The Independence Fund. "We do this by placing Veterans in a safe place to communicate their struggles, triggers, and transition."
Operation RESILIENCY reunites tactical combat military units who survived traumatic experiences together during their deployment and have been affected by Veteran suicide once home. Relying on the trust and brotherhood forged in combat, military units gather in formation to address their next, and most important mission on the home front: preventing Veteran suicide.
"Engagement is the key. In partnership with the VA, OpRES targets specific military units with the highest suicide risks. Our mission is to provide psycho-educational training retreats for at-risk Veterans and their families and then progressively transition them into other programs, such as adaptive sports, or VA or Department of Defense mental health treatment, for them to regain their independence and a new lease on life," said Verardo.
More on ncarol.com
- Rio Bela Cosmetics Launches Inclusive Line of Organic Skincare Products
- The 7 Visibility Problems Costing Independent Hotels Thousands Every Month
- Jackson Hewitt New Management Event
- Viola's Babygirl's, LLC Proudly Announces Teri Tobin's Soulful New Christmas EP "Home For The Holidays"
- Stoxtel Introduces High-Throughput "Matrix" Engine to Address Mexico's Crypto Trading Volatility
Since 2019, The Independence Fund has been proud to include active-duty service members and the unit's Iraqi and Afghan interpreter(s) in the reunions, as they served alongside U.S. service members in combat and now fight alongside our Veterans on the home front. OpRES attendees participate in a four-day retreat and leave with tools and resources to use when the load gets too heavy. The peer support model focuses on admitting that, "it's OK to not be OK."
"The issue is connection," said Johnson. "The Veterans Crisis Line, Coaching into Care, Make the Connection.net, and SAVE suicide prevention training are great resources. Operation RESILIENCY will take those resources directly to at-risk Veterans with laser-guided precision through retreats, training, and awareness under the umbrella of comradery with their fellow service members to ensure no connection is lost."
Units can be nominated for the OpRES program on The Independence Fund's website. Veterans who are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, and those who know a Veteran in crisis, can call the Veterans Crisis Line at 800-273-8255 for confidential crisis intervention and support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Contact:
Ashley Skinner
[email protected]
SOURCE The Independence Fund
0 Comments
Latest on ncarol.com
- New 2025–2026 Energy Rebates: Squeaks Services Explains How to Qualify
- CCHR's New Documentary Prescription for Violence Highlights Overlooked Safety Warnings
- Men's Health Network Announces a New Feature to Support the Well-Being of Men When and Where They Are through Text Alerts
- Comp-U-Floor Unveils Powerful New Commercial Module
- Revenue Optics Announces the Appointment of Sonal Chowdhury as Senior Manager – Strategic Operations
- How California Convinces Buyers Not to Purchase New Cars — and How This Hurts Dealers
- Tax Fears and Political Volatility Drive Wealthy UK Residents to Consider Leaving, La Vida Survey Shows
- Titan Steel Buildings Expands Nationwide to Deliver Large Steel Warehouses and Industrial Facilities
- Marry Me Marinara Announces New Gourmet Pasta Sauce - Bringing Restaurant Quality to Home Kitchens
- Kaltra Removes Size Barriers for Microchannel Coils with Fully Integrated Large-MCHE Production
- Guests Can Save 10 Percent Off New Vacation Rental Homes at KeysCaribbean's Village at Hawks Cay Villas
- Paylode Acquired by Moved to Power the Next Generation of Ancillary Revenue Automation
- Global Preschool Giants Unite to Celebrate the 12th Anniversary of Badanamu's Hit Song "Ponytail"
- America's Leading Annuity Expert Carlton Cap Averil II Joins Tom Hegna on "Financial Freedom with Tom Hegna"
- Cheeron Partners with CRCC to Support Shanghai East Railway Station
- MiBoxer Shines at 2025 Hong Kong International Lighting Fair, Intelligent Lighting Solutions Acclaimed by Global Clients
- Anern Launches the AN-SLZ2 Smart Integrated Solar Street Light
- "Nikko Kitchen," Tochigi Prefecture's New Gourmet Eatery, has Opened Near Tobu Nikko Station
- Michael Gi Delivers Inspiring New Gospel Releases That Lift Hearts and Honor Legacy
- Ashley Wineland To Release Scorching Single and Film Noir Cinematic Video for 'Love Letter'