The Georgia Department of Veterans Service (GDVS) was recently awarded a grant of $500,000 as part of the VA's Fiscal Year 2024 Suicide Mortality Review Cooperative Agreement. The funding will support the development of a Suicide Mortality Review Committee in Georgia. 

The committee will focus on identifying and analyzing suicide deaths statewide to better inform suicide prevention strategies and improve mental health outcomes for veterans. The committee will be composed of key stakeholders from the GDVS, the Georgia Department of Public Health, the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Disabilities, and the Center for the Advancement of Military and Emergency Services Research at Kennesaw State University. 

“Partnerships between the State, VA, Veterans Service Organizations, and our public health agencies are vital to continuing our work to understand and prevent veteran suicide,” said GDVS Commissioner Dr. Patricia Ross. “As a team, we can make a difference on these critical issues and provide support to our service members, veterans, and their families when they need it most.”

The new cooperative agreement will complement and enhance the department’s established suicide prevention and outreach initiatives.  

The GDVS was recently awarded a third year of grant funding from the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP), a three year pilot suicide prevention grant program funded by VA. The GDVS is one of only eight programs nationwide to receive all three years of SSG Fox SPGP funding. 

The GDVS leads Georgia’s Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide in Servicemembers, Veterans, and Families task force, an initiative developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 

Georgia joined the initiative in 2020 and began to build a supportive network with a focus on veteran suicide prevention. The task force is a collaborative partnership between local, state, and federal resources to identify areas of need, organize and coordinate outreach efforts, and provide training to communities on suicide prevention techniques and resources. 

If you’re a veteran in crisis or concerned about one, contact the Veterans Crisis Line to receive 24/7 confidential support. You don't have to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to connect. To reach responders, dial 988 then Press 1, chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or text 838255.

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About Suicide Mortality Reviews: 

Suicide Mortality Reviews (SMRs) are systematic and comprehensive reviews of deaths that are intended to develop recommended strategies to prevent future deaths. SMRs are conducted by SMR Committees, which access multiple sources of clinical and non-clinical information that provide a deeper understanding of the circumstances surrounding a death. The SMRCs then develop recommendations for action to prevent similar deaths in the future.

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About GDVS:

The Georgia Department of Veterans Service (GDVS) is not part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, but is an agency of Georgia’s state government created for the purpose of advising, counseling, and assisting Georgia’s veterans and their families in receiving their rightful benefits under the vast and complex framework of veterans’ laws. The GDVS mission, to serve Georgia's veterans and their families in all matters pertaining to veterans benefits, falls into two basic tasks: informing veterans and their families about veterans’ benefits, and directly assisting and advising veterans and their families in securing the federal and state benefits to which they are entitled.

The GDVS has offered assistance to Georgia’s veterans and their families for nearly 100 years. The department serves the state’s nearly 700,000 veterans and their families in all matters pertaining to veterans benefits, including applying for the federal and state veterans benefits they have earned at no cost. The state also offers help through a robust appeals division, 2 war veterans homes, 2 veterans memorial cemeteries, and coordinating services across state agencies to veterans. 

Veterans or their family members should contact their local field office to schedule an appointment. 

Locate a veterans service office near you at:  https://veterans.georgia.gov/field-offices.