{"id":1725,"date":"2017-07-11T13:00:05","date_gmt":"2017-07-11T17:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/veterans\/?p=1725"},"modified":"2024-02-13T08:34:06","modified_gmt":"2024-02-13T13:34:06","slug":"bay-pines-host-veterans-town-hall-focused-suicide-prevention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/veterans\/bay-pines-host-veterans-town-hall-focused-suicide-prevention\/","title":{"rendered":"Bay Pines to Host Veterans Town Hall Focused on Suicide Prevention"},"content":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0Bay Pines VA Healthcare System (VAHCS)<\/u><\/a>\u00a0will host a Veterans town hall meeting on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 from 4:00 p.m. \u2013 6:00 p.m.\u00a0 The event will take place in the J.C. Cobb room located on the first floor of the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center (building 100)<\/u><\/a> located at 10000 Bay Pines Blvd., Bay Pines, Fla. 33744. VA outreach services and program representatives will be available prior to the event starting at 3:00 p.m. \u00a0to assist Veterans. Services available will include VA health care enrollment and eligibility; VA benefits assistance; and patient advocate services. Unlike previous town hall meetings conducted by the Bay Pines VAHCS, the event will focus specifically on the issue of suicide among Veterans and ways the VA and the local community can collectively improve suicide prevention efforts.<\/strong> Veterans and their families, congressional stakeholders, Veteran Service Organizations, and concerned citizens are encouraged to attend the town hall to learn about suicide prevention services available through the VA and to share ideas about ways to better assist Veterans in need. \u201cOne suicide is one too many. The VA and our partners, communities, families, and friends must do better on behalf of those who sacrificed so much for the freedoms we enjoy,\u201d said Suzanne M. Klinker, Director, Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, in an editorial published on June 9.\u00a0 Read the full editorial here: www.baypines.va.gov\/pressreleases\/20170609.asp<\/u><\/a>. \u201cWe must work harder together to expand available resources and access to vital mental health care services, create safety networks, educate and inform, eliminate bureaucracy and barriers, and intervene as appropriate to prevent suicides before they occur.\u00a0 This is not just the responsibility of our healthcare system or the VA at large – it is everyone’s responsibility,\u201d she said. For updated information about the Veterans town hall meeting or to learn more about the Bay Pines VAHCS, please subscribe to receive updates via email at www.baypines.va.gov\/news\/e_news_subscribe.asp<\/u><\/a>, or connect with us on Facebook, www.facebook.com\/vabaypines<\/u><\/a>, and Twitter, www.twitter.com\/vabaypines<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n