Connection and Community Matters
September is Suicide Prevention Month. For West Valley Women Veterans, it is an opportunity to talk not only about what happens when someone reaches a crisis, but about what we can build around women veterans every day.
Women veterans are not one experience. We served in different branches, eras, and roles. Some proudly wear their veteran status everywhere they go, while others may rarely talk about their service. Some are already connected to the veteran community, and others may not have walked into a veteran space in years.
Every one of them deserves to know there is a place for her.
That sense of belonging matters. Leaving military service can also mean leaving behind a built-in community, shared experiences and the camaraderie that came with serving alongside others. Rebuilding that connection after service does not always happen automatically.
That is where all of us have a role.
For women veterans, it can mean reaching out to someone you have not seen lately, inviting another veteran to come with you, or taking the sometimes uncomfortable first step of walking into something new.
For our community partners and veteran-serving organizations, it means intentionally including women veterans, making sure they know about opportunities and resources, and recognizing that the woman in front of you may have served even if she does not fit someone’s image of what a veteran looks like.
At West Valley Women Veterans, we create opportunities for women who served to build friendships, try new experiences, volunteer, learn, lead and reconnect with the camaraderie of military service in ways that fit their lives today.
Looking for a way to plug in? Visit our calendar and find something that interests you. Come to an event, volunteer alongside us, try something you have never done before, or share our calendar with a woman veteran in your life.
Sometimes connection begins with a simple invitation.
You served. You belong here.
Have Her Six
One resource we especially want to highlight this Suicide Prevention Month is Have Her Six, an initiative from Cohen Veterans Network and created specifically around suicide prevention for women veterans and service members.
Inspired by the military phrase “got your six,” the initiative focuses on something we believe strongly at West Valley Women Veterans: looking out for the women who served beside us and the women veterans in our communities today.
Have Her Six includes information specifically about suicide risk among women veterans, prevention strategies, resources, and a free interactive Two Minutes to Learn to Reduce Risk tool. The tool is designed for both women veterans and those who support them, offering practical steps that can be taken before a crisis occurs.
Take two minutes. Learn something that could help you have her six.
More Resources & Training
Face the Fight – Trainings & Workshops Upcoming workshops and training opportunities for individuals and organizations interested in strengthening their knowledge of veteran suicide prevention.https://wefacethefight.org/resources/trainings-workshops
PsychArmor – Basics of Veteran Suicide Prevention A self-paced training covering the basics of veteran suicide prevention and ways each of us can play a role.https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/basics-of-veteran-suicide-prevention
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – Veterans Resources Suicide prevention information and resources for veterans, service members, families and supporters.https://afsp.org/veterans-resources/
Veteran Check-In Tools and resources that encourage us to check in with the veterans in our lives and help start meaningful conversations.https://www.veterancheckin.org/
If You Need Support
If you or a veteran you know is in crisis, call 988 and press 1 or text 838255 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.
