Breakout Session Descriptions
Community-Based Suicide Prevention at VHA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
Aaron Eagan, RN, MPH
Director,
Community-Based Interventions for Suicide Prevention
VHA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
This session will provide a brief introduction to the SP 2.0 Community-Based Interventions for Suicide Prevention (CBI-SP) model. CBI-SP’s work builds upon the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention’s (OMHSP) current efforts, reaching Veterans through multiple touchpoints by strengthening VA’s focus on high-risk individuals in health care settings and embracing cross-agency collaborations and community partnerships to meet Veterans where they live, work and thrive. Review of virtual resources will also be covered.
Secure Your Weapon: Lethal Means Safety as a Suicide Prevention Strategy
Jon Perez, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer
The NARBHA Institute
Lisa Lahaie, LCSW, Suicide Prevention Coordinator
Northern Arizona VA Health Care System
Arizona has one of the highest rates of suicide in the nation, and more than 75% of veteran deaths by suicide in Arizona involve a firearm. In this presentation, we will discuss Lethal Means Safety as a suicide prevention strategy and introduce the Secure Your Weapon campaign. We will discuss effective strategies for talking about gun safety and other ways to Reach Out, whether you’re looking for help or striving to help a veteran or anyone experiencing an emotional or suicidal crisis.
Supporting Veterans’ Mental Health With VA Telehealth Technologies
Leonie Heyworth, MD, MPH, Director of Synchronous Telehealth
Office of Connected Care, VHA
Valentin O. Rivish, DNP, RN, NE-BC, National Synchronous Telehealth Education Specialist
Office of Connected Care, VHA
In this session, Dr. Leonie Heyworth, MD, MPH, and Dr. Valentin O. Rivish, DNP, RN, NE-BC, will highlight the use of telehealth technologies to address mental health challenges Veterans face daily. Additionally, attendees will learn about the key features of Office of Connected Care technologies and gain insight into how future enhancements will continue to support Veterans' health.
Arizona Veterans Mental Health Advocacy Councils: Council mission & goals, inviting new members, and more...
Geoff Davis, Council Chair
Phoenix Veterans Mental Health Advocacy Council
Travis Burns, Council Co-Chair
Phoenix Veterans Mental Health Advocacy Council
Chair of the Phoenix VA Hospital Veterans Family Advisory Council (VFAC)
Communications Director for Unified Arizona Veterans (UAV)
Rocky Coronado, Council Co-Chair, NAVAHCS Mental Health Advocacy Board
BC Navigator - Case Manager Community Bridges, Inc. (CBI)
Valerie Crossman, LCSW
Council Secretary, NAVAHCS Veterans Mental Health Advocacy Council
Director of Behavioral Health, U.S. VETS – Prescott
Dana Allmond
Council Co-Chair, Southern Arizona Veterans Mental Health Advocacy Council
Katie Stenger
Council Secretary
Southern Arizona Veterans Mental Health Advocacy Council, National Veterans Services
Coordinator, Summit BHC’s Tactical Recovery Program
Ramon Encinas
Council Chair, Southern Arizona Veterans Mental Health Advocacy Council
Founder, My Veteran Passion (MVP)
The three Veterans Mental Health Advocacy Council in Arizona will discuss the power of advocacy, self-advocacy, why to do it, and where to do it at the VA Hospitals in Arizona: Tucson, Phoenix and Prescott. Representatives from the regional Councils will talk about their respective groups. Councils are independent organizationally from the VA, but they work together collaboratively. The Councils are made up of Veterans, family members, community agency people, VA Staff, and others who are supportive of helping veterans move forward. We will explain how to become a member of a Council, how to use your voice as a veteran with lived experience to give feedback to the VA, to find support and to assist others on their journey.
Southern AZ Council Liaison: Angela LoPresti | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phoenix/Central Council Liaison: Spencer Beck, PhD. | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Northern AZ Council Liaison:
Nancy DeVine | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Whole Health Integration
Roberta Lee MD
Whole Health Medical Director, Southern Arizona VA Health Care System
Whole Health Network Education Coordinator (NWEC)
Assistant Clinical Professor, University of Arizona, Department of Medicine
Whole Health is a program that is part of the VA Modernization plan. It has been designed to provide a preventive, proactive and personal whole person approach to healthcare. Many VA sites are bringing in health coaching and providing wellness classes. Dr. Lee will provide an overview of the Whole Health system and help to identify how you can regionally connect to the Whole Health program here in the Arizona VA sites.