Advertisement OKC VA sees rise in veterans seeking help in suicide-prevention program Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Across the country, the number of veteran suicides are down, according to recent data.Data released from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention shows the number of veterans who commit suicide a day has gone from 22 to 20.However, officials with the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center tell KOCO 5 the number of veterans coming to them for help is on the rise.Juanita Celie, the suicide prevention coordinator at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center, said 750 veterans from Oklahoma City called the national Veterans Crisis Line within the last year for help.She said the suicide prevention program is currently assisting about 150 veterans who are at risk of committing suicide.Through this program, she said they can ensure that the veterans get the psychotherapy they need within the same day.“We assign them a case manager, we engage with them, we follow up, if they miss their appointments, we will call them,” Celie said.As more veterans come to them for help, she said the VA is working to provide more suicide prevention training to case managers.On Aug. 2, the VA will partner with community agencies to provide more training to case managers at the VA.Celie said they will work with community agencies that specialize in mental health and substance abuse.“One suicide is too much for us,” Celie said. “Suicide prevention isn’t about doing it for several months and then a year, and then stopping it. It’s something we need to continue to work on.”If you are a veteran or family member of a veteran needing help, you can call the Veteran Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255.For more information on the suicide prevention program at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center, call the facility’s main number at 405-456-1000.