It Makes a Difference to This One

It Makes a Difference to This One

By Laura Chirio

I’ve had many people ask me why I chose the profession I did. For a long time, I haven’t known exactly what to say in return.  Finally, I have come to the realization that my lack of witty response is not evidence of insecurity or incompetence.   "I always wondered why somebody doesn't do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody." - Lily Tomlin.  As for me, my decision to become a Social Worker was much less a choice, but rather a calling.   

Although I am not a suicide survivor myself, the effects of suicide have greatly impacted my life.  So, here I go, I’ll just say what’s on my heart. My heart is heavy. Tomorrow marks the second anniversary of the suicide of SGT Ben Lewis. Saturday is the second annual memorial for PFC Brian (Bear) Smith, after his suicide in 2013.  In June, I will join many others at the memorial for SGT Zack Potter, whom I have come to know, even after his passing. My uncle, MAJ Larry Chirio took his own life over ten years ago.  Suicide is devastating and seriously impacts entire families and communities. It’s a ripple effect so large that often even those even on the outside suffer damaging effects.  My heart is heavy because there are so many families who will never get their loved one back.

 This I can say for certain - statistics are misleading. It has been reported that 22 military veterans commit suicide every day. According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs Suicide Data Report, 2012; 147,763 suicides were reported from 21 states. That figure left out 29 states including those with high veteran populations like California and Texas.  I’ll leave that calculation up to you.

Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by something so big, you think there’s no way you can make a difference? Yeah, us too. Have you ever been told that you can’t make a difference? Yeah, us too. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed and I oftentimes take on more than I can handle and need to scale myself back. One of my favorite stories is the “starfish story.” On days when I feel overwhelmed, I think of this story. I think, even if I’ve helped just one - it’s made a difference to that one. But it’s never just one. It’s a ripple. It’s many. It’s a family. It’s a community.

When we founded Veteran’s Refuge Network, we decided that even if we only help just ONE person, everything we’ve worked for was worthwhile. Mother Teresa said,  “Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.” It’s true. Don’t get caught up in the mess of things and lose sight of what’s right in front of you. 

Help those around you when they need it and always do your best. Don’t be afraid to ask direct questions. Recognize warning signs. Recognize DANGER.

D – Depression

A – Alcohol and drugs

N – Negativity

G – Giving possessions away

E – Estrangement

R – Revenge

Be informed. Be a friend. Be a gatekeeper. Be the one. Because, even if you can only help one, it makes a difference to that one.

Too Legit to Quit

Too Legit to Quit

By Jamie Turner

In January of this year, Veteran's Refuge Network started as a crazy idea. Today, we are excited to announce that after only ONE paperwork submission and FOUR short months, the IRS has approved our 501c(3) status and we are officially a non-profit! The short approval time took us off guard, we'd heard stories of multiple attempts, months of waiting, and repeated frustrations. For our approval to only take four months is an awesome surprise, and to say we're excited is an understatement. 

We just wanted to take a minute express our gratitude to everyone for sharing our posts, helping us raise awareness for PTSD and the 22 veterans that commit suicide each day, and continuing to support us each and every day. Changing the statistic is not something the three of us can do alone, we fully recognize it's going to take a network of people willing to reach out a hand to someone who may be struggling. And, to those of you who have jumped right in to join us in this fight, we cannot say thank you enough. 

Now that we're too legit to quit, we know the real work begins as we work toward making our idea of a veteran treatment center a reality. 

Yes, it's going to take a lot of work. 
Yes, it's going to be discouraging at times. 
Yes, it's worth the fight. 

We feel so blessed, humbled, and excited for what the future holds. Please continue to partner with us as we make progress, reach out to those you know may be going through a rough time, and be the one to make a difference for someone today.

Stories Series Episode #4: The Greatest Honor

Meghan Stewart

20, May 2014

As a teenager, I felt ridiculed, judged even, when I told people my parents were in the military. After September 11, 2001; people looked to me for advice, for support, for help. My parents met while stationed at Fort Monmouth, NJ. After returning home from Germany, after I was born, my dad switched from soldier to stay-at-home father while mom went back into the service. Two years and another kid later, they switched roles permanently.

We moved from state to state, post to post, concrete walled house to concrete walled house. This went on until we moved to Michigan when my dad made the move from Active Duty Army, to Michigan National Guard recruiter. In Michigan, there is not a big military presence. September 11, 2001; I remember being herded into a dark room with fifty other 8^th graders. Teachers were quiet, trying desperately to hide the fear, the concern they felt while we all watched the news. What always stands out to me about that day was my peers’ reactions to what was going on. I didn’t really know what the Twin Towers were, or why it was so important that they were targeted, but I knew it was significant. Every one of my fellow students knew something was wrong and I was the one they asked about it. “What’s going on, Meghan?” They knew my dad was military. And for some reason, I was the new expert about terrorism for the 8^th grade class of Linden Middle School.  By 10am, my mom called my sister and I out of school and brought us home. The three of us waited impatiently for word from my father. We knew the dormant lifestyle we had become accustomed to was endangered now. It wasn’t until 2004 that the other shoe dropped and my dad was deployed to Iraq.

I used to hate the military. Both parents deployed to war, I felt like my family was cursed. It wasn’t until my dad returned and I met the men that served side by side with him for 14 months. I realized then, I am blessed. I was terrified that I would lose a family member and ended up gaining sixty more. Those men and their families became my family. That’s what happens in the military. If you are serving, the men or women who stand side by side with you, they become your blood, closer ties and relationships than with your actual blood relatives. I was lucky to get my dad back. Other families were not. Ten years after their deployment, the men of my dad’s platoon still have stronger bonds than anything you could imagine. They’ve all gone their separate ways. Some out of the military, some spread out to new units. But one thing will always keep them in contact. Their service together. The 14 months they spent together will ensure that our families will always be one. The lesson I’ve learned above all else: the military is a blessing. It may be hard to see at first, but it truly is the greatest honor, for the person in the military and their families. 

Stories Series Episode #1: At War With Myself.

                                                                  

Andrew Turner

25 March, 2014

I came home from Iraq and put my medic aid bag in a closet.  It stayed there, practically untouched for the next eight years.  Last weekend I got it out and opened it up.  Everything was still right where I left it.  Even after all those years I could have grabbed anything I needed without much thought, including the bags of IV fluid that expired back in 2006.  It gave me goosebumps.  I didn't know if I felt good or bad.  I just felt weird.  I messaged my roommate from Iraq and let him know.  He told me he had left his packed until about a year ago.  It was harder to unpack it than he thought it would be, he said.  I don't think I can unpack mine yet.  I just found out how not ready I really am.

Every Friday I sat in an informal “Lesson’s Learned” class at the Battalion Aid Station.  A doctor from the base hospital would come talk about the injuries they were seeing, the latest treatments that were working, and the treatments that weren’t.  He told us once of a medic that reacted just as he was trained, and saved a life that otherwise could easily have been lost.  Eight or nine months into our deployment he asked us to raise our hands if we had treated an American soldier outside the wire.  I looked around the room and everyone, all 15+ medics, had a hand raised.  All except me.

I was the one guy in the group that had managed to escape any real danger or serious incident.  Even though I was the medic out on mission when our unit was hit with the first IED, everyone other than the gunner was fine.  He took a small ball bearing in his upper arm and barely even noticed.  He didn’t require any attention from me that merited us hanging out at the site.  Instead we just got out of the area and let the medics back on base double check him.  He was back on the road a day or two later.  The rest of my time in Iraq was smooth sailing for me, relatively speaking.  My roommate on the other hand treated two soldiers who died as a result of small arms fire.  My section sergeant treated two soldiers that had to be medevac’d out of the country after a suicide car bomb exploded into their convoy.  Every other medic had been on ground for serious injury or death within our battalion.  Any person in their right mind would consider me the lucky one in the group, but  I didn’t feel that way.  Instead, as I realized every other person had a hand raised, I sunk back in my seat, embarrassed, hoping nobody would notice.  I felt like a fraud.

Nearly ten years later it’s hard to shake the feeling I got that day.  It almost makes me sick to think back on it.  I realize what being embarrassed that day means.  It means that for me to validate my part in the war, I needed to be on ground for the death or serious injury of a fellow soldier.  I don’t really have words to express how fucked up that feels in my head.  Did I really just admit that I needed, or worse yet wanted, one of my guys to go down so I could play my medic role and proudly raise my hand with the rest of the medics??  Go ahead and admit a more fucked up thought you’ve ever had.  I’ll wait.

Of course when I think about it rationally, I obviously never wanted anything like that to happen.  But some traitorous part of my brain creeps up now and again and makes me think, “Did you really just think that, you sick fuck?  Is that what it would take to make you feel like a ‘real’ medic, or ‘real’ soldier?”  I really do feel fortunate that all the guys in my platoon came home in one piece.  I feel fortunate that I don’t have to live with the memory of pretending to talk to a soldier I knew was dead, because it would help keep everyone else as calm as possible.  I know friends who carry that burden and I don’t know how they do it.  I know my platoon well, and I know they were glad I was their medic, just as I was glad they were my platoon.  But despite feeling like a fraud for not having done my job, I was scared as shit that one day, I would have to.  I went outside the wire with my guys more than 250 times.  How many times can you expect to be lucky?  More than anything I was scared that sooner or later my luck would run out and I wouldn’t get the job done.  If I was a fraud for not doing my job, how much more would I have been for failing at it?

When I came home I started developing some kind of mental funk.  I didn’t know what it was.  I told people it was vertigo because that’s a word that would make sense to them.  They would understand why I was unable to drive at times because my head was spinning so badly.  They would understand why I needed time off work.  They would understand why I was unable to choose food for my own plate at holiday dinners, because the variety of choices were overwhelming.  And most importantly, they wouldn’t ask too many questions.  But once a year or so, I would be in my “funk” for an entire month. For six weeks. No driving, no working, no eating, no TV or radio on while I laid on the couch all day, head buried in the cushions.  And once a year I would hold on with everything I had until that month passed and I woke up one day, back to normal.  One instance when it was at its worst, I had to drive to Grand Rapids to participate in a memorial service for former First Lady Betty Ford.  For two hours I gripped the wheel, forced myself to focus on the car in front of me, and fought thoughts of just closing my eyes, letting go of the wheel, and…who knows what next.  I didn’t want to kill myself.  But, I didn’t care what happened to me.  I just needed my brain to function right.  I can’t describe the frustration I felt in thinking that my mind was not doing what I knew it was supposed to do.  It wouldn’t allow me to make quick decisions.  It wouldn’t allow me to focus.  It wouldn’t allow me to operate at the level I’m accustomed to.  It was betraying me. 

When I got to Grand Rapids I was told that the ceremony had been delayed and to come back the next day.  The sigh of relief I breathed for having finally made it in the first place was replaced by the realization that, though I was not even sure how I made it as far as I had, now I had to turn around and do it all over again.  I don’t remember much of the drive.  I do remember driving past construction zones I had obviously driven through on the way to GR and thinking, “Where the hell did that come from?  Why don’t I remember driving through that?”

I didn’t go back to Grand Rapids the next day.  Instead I had Jamie take me to the VA Hospital in Ann Arbor.  It was probably the fourth or fifth time I had gone over the years since I returned home, and though I was desperate for an answer, I was pretty sure I would leave disappointed like every other time.  I don’t know what was different that day, but by some stroke of luck or fate, I found somebody who helped me.  Over the course of the next 6 months I worked with “Ashley” to develop a treatment plan to combat my issue that included an "in case of emergency" plan should I feel it happening again. For now, every morning I take a pill.  Every night I take a pill.  After talking with my doctor, I expect I’ll be taking that pill every morning and every night indefinitely.  And my mental health is always at the forefront of my mind and my wife’s mind.  I know what I need to do if I feel myself slipping back into the funk.  My wife worries more about it than I do.  Probably because she’s the one who has had to take care of me for the extended periods of my life that have vanished. 

I’ve maintained my normalcy for nearly two years now.  I feel pretty confident that my month-long sabbaticals from life are a thing of the past.  I still have normal ups and downs, but my wife is hyperaware of them, always concerned that I’m not being completely honest with how I feel during the downs.  I’m more aware too.  Aware of when I’m getting close to that edge and what I need to do to back away from it.  I feel like I have as good of a handle on it as I can expect.  But I also realize that if I’m not careful, I could wake up tomorrow with the prospects of a long painful month, thinking to myself, “Not again…” This is my new normal. This is what we don't really talk about. This is the war with myself. 

Our Vision for Veteran's Refuge Network

Our Vision

By Andrew Turner

2, March 2014

This past Friday night we met with a small group of people to share with them our vision of Veteran’s Refuge Network.  One of the first comments we heard was, “Ok, so you guys are going really big here.  I wasn’t sure what to expect.”  We are going big.  Bigger than anything any of us have ever attempted before.  Up till now we have focused on short-term goals through our social media campaign (promoting PTSD and veteran suicide awareness, developing a community of veterans and supporters, and helping veterans find available resources) and will continue that focus, but on this night, we unveiled our long-term goal for the first time.  We’ve been asked multiple times what our vision is; we haven’t given a solid answer because we haven’t been able to properly articulate it to this point, and because it has been too raw to share.  Our goal for our Friday night meeting was to get face-to-face with other like-minded, passionate people who care for the well-being of veterans as much as we do, and to collectively build our vision and the plan to make it a reality. 

OUR VISION: To build and maintain Michigan’s first Veteran’s Refuge Center, a quiet place to go to heal from the internal and external scars of war. With a focus on PTSD, the center would offer professional counseling and other various forms of therapy geared toward the total healing of mind, body, and soul.

OUR DREAM: The ideal facility includes a central campus with space for individual and group counseling rooms, large family-style dining facilities, open kitchen with space for healthy eating classes, spacious gathering room, full gym, art studio, plus staff and security offices. The veteran’s residence quarters features private rooms, shared bathroom facilities, recreation room with entertainment equipment, and full kitchen. Surrounding grounds would be spacious enough to accommodate canine and horse therapy, swimming, fishing, hiking, trails for biking, and other additional outdoor recreation.

We have done our research and we don’t believe there is any facility in Michigan that does what we will do.  There are a lot of great resources for veterans throughout the state, but none that will offer the variety of treatments and continuity of care that the Veteran’s Refuge Center will. We believe that by building our unique center, we can partner with existing resources to give veterans the care they deserve; the care that many are currently unable to get.

Sharing pizza around a conference table in a room we were allowed free use of, Laura, Jamie and I shared our vision and asked for feedback.  Rob and Cheryl Stewart asked us the tough questions we had not thought through completely, or had not thought at all.  Tim and Lisa Potter offered enthusiastic support, sharing the purpose and passion that has driven them since their son, and our friend, Zack, took his own life as a result of his battle with PTSD. Deb Hoskins gave us emotional support while writing down notes and ideas as fast as they spilled out of us.  

We discussed the strengths of our plan, the passion we share, the unique vision we have, and the understanding of the great need we have.  We acknowledged our weaknesses and inexperience, and the lack of financial resources.  And most importantly, we talked about the opportunity we have.  The opportunity to save lives.  The opportunity to reach the 120,000+ veterans in the Metro Detroit area alone. And the chance to learn from other organizations across the country that are starting similar veteran centers. They are experiencing success and we will too.

OUR NEED: The need is great, but our passion to serve is greater. Our dream is attainable, but we recognize we can’t do it alone. We believe that by joining with like-minded people who each offer a unique perspective, Veteran’s Refuge will be made all the stronger. We are extremely excited to share our vision with you and we are looking forward to the journey we are embarking on.   We are sincerely grateful for the help and support anyone is willing and able to offer.  This is not about us. We will not be successful if it becomes only about us.  But together we can make a lasting and impactful change on the lives of the veterans who have already given so much. 

Thank you for taking the time to read our vision, and please consider partnering with us in this journey. If you are interested in contributing, the Potter family has generously started a gofundme.com campaign for our cause, the link can be found at http://www.gofundme.com/Zacks-PTSD

-Andrew, Laura, and Jamie

Resource List

Here is a good list of available resources for active duty service members and veterans in the State of Michigan as well as some Nationwide resources to help veterans in need.  On here you'll find Crisis Hotlines, Suicide Prevention Hotlines, Military Chaplains, Veteran's Centers, Crisis Centers and much much more.

It is by no means a comprehensive list, but if you or someone you know is in need of help there are plenty of people out there willing and able to help.  Please don't be silent. Reach out to one of these organizations or reach out to us directly at:

• Email: veteransrefugenetwork@gmail.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/veteransrefugenetwork
• Twitter: @VeteransRefuge

Crisis Hotlines:

http://www.suicideoutreach.org/

                                          

Crisis Centers:

Common Ground

Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
P: 248-456-8150
F: 248-456-8147
http://commongroundhelps.org/

Dial Help

Houghton, MI 49931
P: 906-482-9077
F: 906-482-2502
http://www.dialhelp.org/

Gryphon Place

Kalamazoo, MI 49008
P: 269-381-1510
F: 269-381-0935
http://www.gryphon.org/

Macomb County Crisis Center

Chesterfield, MI 48051
P: 586-469-5275
F: 586-948-0223
http://www.mccmh.net/

Neighborhood Service Organization

Detroit, MI 48226
P: 313-961-1060
F: 313-961-5120
http://www.nso-mi.org/index.php

Network 180

Grand Rapids, MI 49503
P: 616-336-3765
F: 616-336-2475
http://www.network180.org/en/

Third Level Crisis Intervention Center

Traverse City, MI 49686
P: 231-922-4802
http://www.thirdlevel.org/

Family Resources:

National Military Family Association: http://www.militaryfamily.org/

American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/what-we-do/support-military-families

                                       

Michigan Vet Centers:

Normal working hours are 8:00am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday. In an effort to better serve the veteran and family members, upon request Vet Centers will provide services after normal work hours and/or on weekends

Dearborn Vet Center

19855 Outer Drive, Suite 105 W
Dearborn, MI 48124
P: 313-277-1428 Or 877-927-8387


Detroit Vet Center
4161 Cass Avenue
Detroit, MI 48201
P: 313-576-1514 Or 877-927-8387


Escanaba Vet Center
3500 Ludington Street, Suite # 110
Escanaba, MI 49829
P: 906-233-0244


Grand Rapids Vet Center
2050 Breton Rd SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
P: 616-285-5795 Or 877-927-8387


Macomb County Vet Center
42621 Garfield Rd. Suite 105
Clinton Township, MI 48038-5031
P: 586-412-0107 Or 877-927-8387

Pontiac Vet Center

44200 Woodward Avenue, Suite 108
Pontiac, MI 48341
P: 248-874-1015 Or 877-927-8387


Saginaw Vet Center
5360 Hampton Place
Saginaw, MI 48604
P: 989-321-4650 Or 989-321-4650


Traverse City Vet Center
3766 N US 31 South
Traverse City, MI 49684
P: 231-935-0051 Or 877-927-8387

                                  


Michigan Army National Guard Chaplains:

CH (1LT) YOUNGS, Darin

269-694-1001
563-508-4106
Darinyoungs@juno.com 507th EN
Battalion Chaplain
 

CH(CPT) BRENNAN, Andrew

(Ada)
C 616-990-1287
H 616-617-3157
Ahbren98@gmail.com
Andrew.s.brennan.mil@mail.mil
210th MP
Battalion Chaplain

CH (CPT) BROOKS, Rick

(Tecumseh)
(SE Michigan)
H 517-815-1758
C 517-745-2514
W 517 788-4800x3560
richard.lee.brooks1@us.army.mil
richard.brooks@allegiancehealth.org
246 TRNS
Battalion Chaplain

CH (LTC) CHAPIN, Jim

(Farwell)
H 989-544-2101
C 517-285-6846
O 517-481-8325
pjchapin2000@yahoo.com
james.r.chapin2.mil@mail.mil
46th MP CMD Chaplain

CH (CPT) HALL, James

(Kalamazoo, Battle Creek)
H 269-979-8611
C 269-209-5080
james.d.hall182.mil@mail.mil
jimhall48@yahoo.com
3/238th AV
Battalion Chaplain

CH(Ret.) HEAVNER, Herb

(SE Michigan)
C 248-684-9816
revhev@yahoo.com
N/A Retired

CH (COL) HENSEN, Will

(Grand Rapids)
H 616-243-4912
O 616-243-2829
C 616-915-8757
BB 517-256-0205
william.c.hensen.mil@mail.mil
pastor@millbrookCRC.org
JFHQ

CH (CPT) LEPLEY, Paul

(Grand Rapids)
C 989.448.1125
C 517.420.5161
Leple1pa@gmail.com
plepley@voami.org
126 CAV BN
Squadron Chaplain


CH (CPT) LIVINGSTON, Carl
(Out of state,TN)
H 931-362-2530
C 931-249-6448
carl.e.livingston@us.army.mil
carlyo@peoplepc.com
182nd FA
Battalion Chaplain


CC (1LT) JOHNSON, Karl
(Grand Rapids)
H 616-893-7345
Kwj1978@yahoo.com
63rd BDE

(Attached only)

CH (1LT) LAVIGNE, Adam

(Marquette/UP Area)
H 906-282-1813
adam@mqtchurch.com
lavigneap@gmail.com
107th EN BN Battalion
Chaplain

CH(MAJ) MARTINUS, Brian

(Freeland)
C 231-342-6576
H 989-781-0598
BB 517-256-1968
brian.s.martinus.mil@mail.mil
Brian.s.martinus@gmail.com
272 RSG
BDE Chaplain


CH (MAJ) RHODES, Roger
(Marquette/UP Area)
H 906-372-9009
O 906-228-9440
C 906-250-9841
roger.a.rhodes@us.army.mil
Rhodes@chartermi.net
177th MP BDE
Chaplain (Assigned)
46th MP CMD Asst CH

CC (2LT) Chapa, Frank

781-883-9309
chapafrankie@yahoo.com
3/238th AV
(attached only)

CH (CPT) WEBB, Brian

H 810-834-2849
Brian.webb8.mil@mail.mil
146th MMB
 

CH (CPT) Stanley, Brian

O 269-694-6311
H 269-694-9369
Fatherstanley1980@gmail.com 119th FA BN

CH (1LT) Dilley, Jared

248-703-1245
Jared.dilley@wardchurch.org
Jared.dilley@hotmail.com
1225th CSSB
1-125 IN BN

 

                                          

Michigan Army National Guard Resources:

Maria Bouharb

MING Director of Psychological Health Program
National Guard Bureau
517-410-8357

Star Behavioral Health Providers

Use this link to search by location for civilian providers with military sensitivity.
http://starproviders.org/services/states/michigan/resources-pageid-25
(517) 355-7732

Army Community Center

Dr. Mary Edwards Walker
Army Reserve Center
3870 Three Mile Road NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49534
http://www.arfp.org/index.php/programs/army-strongcommunity-enter-ascc
616-735-4050 x 169


Michigan National Guard Family Programs
3423 N. Martin Luther King Blvd.
Lansing, MI 48906
(517) 481-9893

Military One Source 1-800-342-9647

Army One Source 1-877-811-2769

Defense Center of Excellence Outreach Center 1-866-966-1020

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration

1- 877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727)

1- 800-487-4889 (TDD)
SAMSHA National Helpline
1- 800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357)
TTY: 800-487-4889

The American Red Cross Military Family Services 1- 877-272-7337

DoD Safe Helpline | Sexual Assault Support for the DoD Community 1-877-995-5247

The National Domestic Violence Helpline 1-800-799-7233

Michigan Resources:          

Michigan Veteran Resource Center    
1-800-MICH-VET or 2-1-1
www.michiganveterans.com          
                   

National Resource Directory:          

National Resource Directory 
Search resources by keyword, city, state, or zip code
"Connecting Wounded Warriors, Service Members, Veterans, Their Families and Caregivers with Those Who Support Them."
https://m.nrd.gov/ 


Nationwide Suicide Prevention Resources:

  

Veterans Crisis Line 
http://www.veteranscrisisline.net/

Dial 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1 to talk to someone now. 
Start a confidential online chat session at www.VeteransCrisisLine.net/chat now. 
Send a text message to 838255 to connect to a VA responder

National Hopeline Network

http://www.hopeline.com/

Toll-free, 24-hour crisis hotline

(800) SUICIDE or (800) 784-2433

Give an Hour: 
www.giveanhour.org
Give an Hour is a National nonprofit that offers free mental health services to military, veterans, and their loved ones regardless of discharge or status. Their services are unlimited and completely free and confidential. To find a provider visit www.giveanhour.org  and click “get help”. Should you experience any difficulty finding a provider, or if there is no provider located in your area please email info@giveanhour.org.

US Army Public Health Command

Comprehensive List of Suicide Prevention Education Resources

http://phc.amedd.army.mil/topics

Army G1 Suicide Prevention Program: www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide 

Suicide Prevention Resource Center: www.sprc.org

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: www.afsp.org

American Association of Suicidiology: www.suicidology.org/home

Suicide Prevention Coordinators: 

Anastas, Sharon
Iron Mountain, MI 49801
P: 906-774-3300x32770F: 906-779-3147
sharon.anastas@va.gov

Fabeck, Suzanne

Battle Creek, MI 49037
P: 269-966-5600x35390F: 269-223-5592
vhabacbattlecreeksuicidepreventionteam@va.gov

Gray, Sharleen

Saginaw, MI 48602
P: 989-497-2500x11778F: 989-321-4922
Sharleen.Gray@med.va.gov

Griffin, Angela

Detroit, MI 48201P: 313-576-3345
F: 313-576-1091
angela.griffin2@va.gov

Rivette, Michele

Ann Arbor, MI 48105
P: 734-769-7100x55980F: 734-845-3235
Michele.Rivette@va.gov

Veterans Benefits Administration Office:

Eastern Area Office

P.O. Box 303
Ann Arbor, MI 48105P: 800-827-1000
CLAIMS INFO:
Detroit VA Regional Office
477 W Michigan, Detroit, MI 48226.

Additional Resources:

Battle Buddy Info

Website: www.battle-buddy.info

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BattleBuddyInfo
Twitter: @BattleBuddyInfo