Frontline Psych with Doc Bender: 24/7 Help at Veterans Crisis Line

By Dr. James Bender, DCoE psychologist

Dr. James Bender is a former Army psychologist who deployed to Iraq as the brigade psychologist for the 1st Cavalry Division 4th Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Hood, Texas. During his deployment, he traveled through Southern Iraq, from Basra to Baghdad. He writes a monthly post for the DCoE Blog on psychological health concerns related to deployment and being in the military.

Hello. A friend at work recently asked me about patient confidentiality and suicide prevention hotlines. After our discussion, and speaking with a few others, my informal poll told me chances are there may be misinformation floating around. So I reached out to Patricia Lucas, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) suicide prevention coordinator for the Washington, D.C. area, and decided to spotlight a free, confidential resource for service members and veterans in emotional crisis this month—Veterans Crisis Line.

Partnered with VA and National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the crisis line is available 24/7 by calling 800-273-TALK (8255) and pressing “1,” online chat or text message to 838255. In five years, the crisis line has fielded more than 500,000 calls and made more than 18,000 “rescues” where emergency services went to the caller’s location.

There are usually complex and varied reasons why someone may experience suicidal thoughts, but hopelessness is a common theme and a better predictor of suicide than depression. When people feel “trapped” or that their situation will never improve, it may lead them to consider suicide as the only option. It’s safe to say we probably all experience times when we’re down and not feeling ourselves, but people whose behaviors don’t seem to improve and actually worsen, may show signs that they need help. Here are some warning signs to look for: increased substance use; anxiety, agitation, sleeplessness; dramatic mood changes; rage, uncontrolled anger; and withdrawal from family, friends or society.

Who can use the crisis line?

Veterans can use the Veterans Crisis Line—you don’t have to be registered with VA—and how long you served or your discharge status doesn’t matter. Additionally, any service member, or concerned person can use this service. Here’s how it works:

1. When you call, use online chat, or send a text, it’s answered by a VA professional experienced with military-related issues and suicide prevention. They may even be a veteran. The responder starts with basic questions, like inquiring what the immediate problem is and how long the problem and poor moods have been going on. They may ask if the caller is thinking about hurting or killing themself and if so, if there’s a plan to do it. These questions may sound morbid, but they’re the most effective way to determine the best course of action.

2. If the caller is not in immediate danger, the nearest VA suicide prevention coordinator will follow-up with the caller within a day. This follow-up will require a name and phone number, so a face-to-face visit with a local health care provider can then be scheduled if the caller is receptive.

3. Because the safety of the caller is a primary concern, if the caller is at risk of suicide, a rescue is initiated to the caller’s location for immediate assessment and treatment, usually at a hospital emergency room.

Having worked with suicidal patients, I can tell you that there are many dramatic recoveries and some people literally consider themselves “reborn” after recovery from their suicidal episode. They are often scared to look back at this period in their life because they came close to making a big mistake.

It’s important for people to know that there is help available and to talk to someone before issues escalate. Stressful events can affect our health in multiple ways. It helps to maintain proper physical, emotional and psychological health in order to better deal with stressors in our lives.

Find out more about suicide prevention information and resources, and thanks for reading.

Army's Medical Hotline Continues to Help Soldiers, Families

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 1, 2007 - The Army's four-month-old "Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline" continues to find answers to soldiers' and families' medical questions, a senior U.S. military officer said here today. The hotline provides a more direct way for wounded soldiers and their families to obtain information for medical issues that couldn't be resolved though local channels, Army Col. Edward Mason, the hotline's director, told online journalists and "bloggers."

"The intent of the Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline is to ensure that soldiers and their families have access to every resource the Army has to offer," Mason explained.

Senior Army leaders established the hotline March 19 in the wake of a series of news reports in February that spotlighted shortcomings in patient care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.

Top Army leaders receive regular reports and briefings on hotline operations, the colonel pointed out.

The hotline wasn't created to bypass the chain of command, Mason emphasized, noting that it was established to address and resolve soldier and family medical issues as expeditiously as possible.

The hotline is managed and operated by U.S. Army Human Resources Command, in Alexandria, Va. Since inception, the hotline has fielded more than 5,000 calls, involving more than 1,300 issues, Mason said.

Callers' issues are staffed to subject-matter experts for resolution, Mason explained. The hotline staff later contacts callers to ensure they've been helped. "Most of the time callers are very happy someone listened to them and that we were able to provide the information that they needed," he said.

Military veterans have raised about 28 percent of hotline issues, Mason said. Veterans have been gratified to receive replies from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs officials, he said.

The hotline operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Mason said. It is staffed by 50 soldiers and 50 contractors. The contractors are former soldiers or military family members. "They believe in the mission and have a passion for helping soldiers and families," Mason said of the hotline's staff.

The Army's Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline can be accessed at 1-800-984-8523. Overseas customers can call the hotline via the Defense Switched Network, or DSN, at 312-328-0002.

Army Launches Wounded Warrior, Family Hotline

American Forces Press Service

March 19, 2007 – Army officials this morning launched a new hotline to help wounded warriors and their family members to get information or assistance with medical or other issues. The "Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline," 1-800-984-8523, also will help Army leaders improve services to wounded soldiers and their families, officials said.

"We have designed this call center to be able to collectively hear what the soldiers say about their health care issues, so as issues are raised, we can identify systemic faults or problematic areas and senior leaders can better allocate resources," said Maj. Gen. Sean J. Byrne, commander of U.S. Army Human Resources Command.

"It's all about serving our wounded and injured soldiers and their families," he added. "If we can find a way to improve our system, we will. It's that simple."

In a statement, Army officials acknowledged that many soldiers wounded in the global war on terror and their families are "enduring hardships in navigating through our medical care system."

"The Army is committed to providing outstanding medical care for the men and women who have volunteered to serve this great nation," officials said in the statement.

Care of wounded soldiers has been in the spotlight since a February series of articles in the Washington Post revealed shortcomings in outpatient care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, here. Since then, the hospital's commander was relieved, Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey resigned, and the service's surgeon general submitted his retirement request over the issue.

"Recent events made it clear the Army needs to revise how it meets the needs of our wounded and injured Soldiers and their families," Army officials said in yesterday's statement. "In certain cases, the soldiers' chain of command could have done a better job in helping to resolve medically related issues."

Officials stressed that the hotline is not intended to circumvent the chain of command, but is "another step in the direction of improvement."

"Wounded and injured soldiers and their families expect and deserve the very best care and leadership from America's Army," officials said. "The Army's intent is to ensure wounded and injured soldiers and their families that they receive the best medical care possible. The Army chain of command will ensure every soldier is assisted in navigating the military health care system.

The Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline can be reached from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1-800-984-8523. As additional personnel are trained to receive calls and refer them to the proper organization or agency for resolution, the hotline hours of operation will expand to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, officials said.

This article is sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.