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Veterans can get treatment via video technology from the comfort of their homes
October 8, 2023
Treva Lutes
Communications Lead, VA Office of Connected Care
Preventing Veteran suicide is VA’s top clinical priority. VA is here to provide help and support for you or a loved one.
Telehealth is an important part of VA’s comprehensive approach to suicide prevention. Last year, nearly 1 million Veterans used video telehealth to receive VA mental health care.
VA’s innovative telehealth program supports Veterans at risk of suicide: the Suicide Prevention 2.0 Clinical Telehealth program (SP 2.0).
Telehealth increases Veteran access by reducing barriers to care
SP 2.0 reaches Veterans with a recent history of suicidal self-directed violence behavior. Because the program is embedded within the national Clinical Resource Hub (CRH), the services are fully virtual.
This one-of-a-kind virtual program makes accessing crucial care easier for Veterans who can get treatment via video technology from the comfort of their homes without facing the challenges of visiting a VA facility in person (travel time/cost, childcare).
SP 2.0 is the first and only enterprise-wide clinical suicide prevention program of its kind. These gold-standard services are uniquely available through all 139 VA Health Care Systems in the United States.
SP 2.0 offers different interventions based on what best suits each Veteran’s needs:
- A one-time Safety Planning Intervention
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for suicide prevention
- Problem-Solving Therapy for suicide prevention
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy in both individual and group sessions for Veterans with borderline personality disorder
Over 12,000 Veterans have been referred to SP 2.0 since its launch in April 2021. Many of them have said that after having suicidal thoughts or actions for years, they found new hope and improved quality of life through VA virtual care for suicide prevention.
For more on how telehealth can help with suicide prevention treatment, talk with your VA provider or visit the VA Telehealth Services website.
Resources are available to help you take the first step
If you’re having thoughts of suicide, there are resources available and people who want to help you. Reaching out is the first step on your healing journey.
The caring, qualified responders at the Veterans Crisis Line are ready to listen and help you make a plan to stay safe. Day or night, you can receive crisis support:
- Dial 988 then Press 1.
- Chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat.
- Text 838255.
The Veterans Crisis Line is free and confidential and you don’t have to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to connect.
For more resources, visit the Veterans Crisis Line or Don’t Wait. Reach Out. websites and read this article on VA News.
Topics in this story
Suicide Preventiontelehealth
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The comments section is for opinions and feedback on this particular article; this is not a customer support channel. If you are looking for assistance, please visit Ask VA or call 1-800-698-2411. Please, never put personally identifiable information (SSAN, address, phone number, etc.) or protected health information into the form — it will be deleted for your protection.
2 Comments
Carl D.MervynOctober 15, 2023 at 23:58
I am enrolled in a CBT suicide prevention program not through my local VA hospital. It is a once a week video meeting. I don’t like it at all. If I have any questions about homework or what was said during the meeting I have an extremely had time to getting with my leader. She for the most part good. But the video lacks all personal conditions that you have with face to face meetings. Also I don’t know what to do when my program ends in about three to four weeks. The Durham VA has not assigned me a therapist since late April when my last one quit on me. My primary medical provider has told me the last two appointments that he has put in a referral but no action has been taken as of yet. No don’t tell me the VA gives a care about veterans all they care about is their paycheck and protecting their staff.
Larry WapnickOctober 8, 2023 at 19:04
It is wonderful….. However, in order to get to the system, people have to be advised, and aware that it exists. The way of doing that is through television, broadcast television, especially in areas that do not have cable! We are Tv30 of the Treasure Coast {FL} we are also veterans who are involved with broadcast television. Broadcast television is free and available in all areas including those with cable and satellite cannot reach. We have an AI program that we are currently working on that will make instant awareness for anybody watching and who has a connection with someone that is a veteran and quite possibly suicidal.
Comments are closed.
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If you are a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one, connect with our caring, qualified responders for confidential help. Many of them are Veterans themselves.
- Call 988 and press 1
- Text to 838255
- Chat confidentially now
- Call TTY if you have hearing loss 1-800-799-4889
Get more resources at VeteransCrisisLine.net.
Last updated October 10, 2023
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