Leveraging Community Asset Mapping to Improve Suicide Prevention for Veterans

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Veterans Affairs
• Suicide Prevention

Background:

• The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) aims to improve community collaboration to mitigate suicide risk factors in veterans.
• Not all veterans can access VA care, necessitating external service connections.
• Community Asset Mapping (CAM) is a strategy to link veterans with community resources for suicide risk reduction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the Community Asset Mapping (CAM) process for addressing suicide risk factors and social determinants of health in veterans.
• To outline how CAM can centralize resources for improved veteran and practitioner access.
• To mitigate factors contributing to veteran suicide risk through enhanced resource utilization.

Main Methods:

• Implementing VA suicide prevention CAM by creating contact lists for community referrals.
• Identifying points of contact within veteran service organizations, vet centers, and community mental health organizations.
• Utilizing CAM to gather and share information on local community resources.

Main Results:

• CAM facilitates the identification and centralization of community resources for veterans.
• It improves access to external services for veterans not fully covered by VA care.
• The process supports practitioners in referring veterans to necessary support systems.

Conclusions:

• Strengthening partnerships between the VA and local communities is crucial for veteran suicide prevention.
• CAM enhances the ability to serve veterans both within and outside the VA system.
• Continued collaboration is essential to address the complex factors contributing to veteran suicide.