US Veteran Outreach suicide prevention initiative in Mountain Home is participating in a Veterans Administration research grant documenting the demonstrated success of Veterans helping Veterans through a community based outreach program created five years ago by Dan Hall and Dr George Wolford. On June 30th the group met to complete an analysis of the community’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and to document their efforts as they pursue the goal of ending the national tragedy of Veteran suicides.
The group of twenty four (24) community leaders from numerous entities including; Mayor Adams, DAV Commander and US Veteran Outreach Facilitator Dan Hall and Coordinator Dr Wolford who hosted leaders from Baxter Regional Medical Center, the VA Community Based Outreach Clinic, Veterans Administration Suicide prevention, Baxter County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain Home Police Department, Baxter County Human Resources, City of Mountain Home Human Resources, Arkansas Department of Health Home Health Nurses, Mountain Home Police Department School Resource Officers, Good Samaritan Society managers, and two local Pastors in the two (2) hour session at the Mountain Home Police Department community room.
The group has ten (10) certified instructors available to train the public in suicide awareness and intervention. Over the next weeks they will be erecting five (5) billboards, and airing numerous media ads to inform the public and encourage visits to their Website at www.USVeteranOutreach.org.