What: The Georgia Department of Veterans Service (GDVS) and GreenVeterans will host a forum focused on suicide prevention awareness and outreach for active-duty military service members, veterans, and their families.

Notable speakers include:

  • The parents of SSG Parker Gordon Fox, David and Brenda Fox;
  • U.S. Representative Austin Scott (GA-8), Member of the House Armed Services Committee;
  • U.S. Representative Sanford Bishop (GA-2), Member of the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies;  
  • Dr. Liz Clark, Director of the Department of Defense Suicide Prevention Office;
  • Aaron Eagan, Director of Community-Based Suicide Prevention, Veterans Health Administration’s Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention;
  • Patricia Ross, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Veterans Service.

State Veterans Service Board Chairman and GreenVeterans CEO Shawn Hanley will moderate the forum.

Who:   Media, military service members, veterans, their families, and suicide prevention awareness professionals are invited to attend.

When: October 5, 2023 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Georgia State Capitol Building, Room 341
206 Washington St SW
Atlanta, GA 30334

Contact: Charlotte May, Director External Affairs and Communications
Office: 404-656-5933, [email protected]

Shawn Hanley, Chairman of the State Board of Veterans Service and CEO of GreenVeterans
[email protected]

Background: The SSG Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP) honors Veteran Parker Gordon Fox, who joined the Army in 2014 and was a sniper instructor at the U.S. Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia. Known for a life of generosity and kindness to others in need, Fox died by suicide on July 21, 2020, at the age of 25.

The GDVS received a grant of $747,464 from the SSG Fox SPGP in 2022 to support suicide prevention awareness and outreach across the state. GDVS partnered with the Advancement of Military and Emergency Services (AMES) Research at Kennesaw State University to identify emerging trends of suicidality in veterans in Georgia using this funding. Together, GDVS and AMES provide suicide prevention and awareness classes, conduct outreach events for service members and veterans in need, and work with community partners to increase equity in access to mental healthcare and services for service members, veterans, and their families.

To learn more about the Georgia Department of Veterans Service, visit https://veterans.georgia.gov. Information on the SSG Fox SPGP can be found at www.mentalhealth.va.gov/ssgfox-grants/.

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If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact the Veterans Crisis Line to receive free, confidential support and crisis intervention available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Dial 988 then Press 1, chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or text 838255.

Reporters covering this issue can download VA’s Safe Messaging Best Practices fact sheet or visit www.ReportingOnSuicide.org for important guidance on how to communicate about suicide.

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