FORT CAVAZOS, Texas – Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center and many other organizations will keep striving to help beneficiaries receive support that they need and deserve for suicide prevention throughout the year.
The hospital ends the month dedicated to Suicide Prevention with a resource fair and peer training hosted by the departments of pastoral care and behavioral health 26 Sept.
Representatives from Military one Source and the Military and Family Life Counseling Program, Fort Cavazos Army Community Service and Suicide Prevention Programs and others provided information on resources available to Service Members, their families, veterans and civilians employees that some did not know were available.   
“I think that providing the resources that people don’t know about is important, especially counseling,” said Marisela Alicea, nurse, CRDAMC.
“I asked about counseling children specifically and they gave me some resources that are available as well as informed me that counseling is free to all military members, their family members, and that you can search for counselors on your own without a referral,” she added.
MFLCs are master’s or doctorate-level licensed counselors who offer service members, their spouses and immediate family members short-term non-medical counseling. Interested beneficiaries can call the Fort Cavazos office at 254-553-4705 or Military One Source is available with 24/7 support at (800) 342-9647 or visit: https://www.militaryonesource.mil.
Knowing battle buddies and family members that have committed suicide, retired Army Sgt. Odell Carter-Bryant, benefited from the fair by learning of services for veterans and family members.
“Any resource available to talk to someone about whatever you are going through is helpful,” said Carter-Bryant.
All of the frustrations that veterans and family members deal with from sicknesses and pain can push them to the point of not wanting to be here, but its’s always good to make the decision to be here, because making the decision to end it all hurts our families too, he added.
The hospital also offered peer training provided by Casey Wood, director, overwatch project, for staff members. The training focused on the importance of thinking and talking about firearms when an individual is at risk of committing suicide and using that knowledge to save lives.
The program is hoping to decrease suicide by guns among veterans. Their latest campaign empowers veterans to both seek and provide peer. For more information visit www.overwatchproject.org.