BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs (LDVA) is hosting their 2nd Annual Suicide Prevention Summit on Friday, Sept. 13, at American Legion Post #38 located at 151 South Wooddale Boulevard in Baton Rouge, La.

The purpose of the summit is to increase attendee understanding of suicide, its prevalence, risk factors for veteran populations, and to assist attendees in acquiring tools for suicide prevention and intervention.

“The LDVA is proud to continue to host this important summit,” says LDVA Secretary Joey Strickland. “Suicide prevention is everyone’s business, and we want to help connect veterans, their families, and community members about ways that they can get involved, and connect them with the myriad of resources available within their communities.”

LDVA is grateful to American Legion Nicholson Post #38 for their continued support of our Department, its mission, and Louisiana’s veterans.

LDVA’s 2nd Annual Suicide Prevention Summit is proud to have the following speakers:

  • Margo Abadie with the Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center will present “Compassionate Fatigue: The Cost of Caring.”
  • Marva Harris, MSW, LCSW with the Baton Rouge Vet Center will present “From Clinical to Community: Acknowledging ‘Hidden Words’ that are in Plain Sight.”
  • Anthony Germande, Executive Director of NAMI Louisiana will present “Veteran Suicide: Culture & Gender.”
  • Amanda Raines with the Southeast Louisiana VA Healthcare System will present “A Theoretical Framework for Understanding the Relationship between Spiritual Struggles and Suicide among Veterans.”
  • Tonja Myles, certified Peer Support Specialist with Capital Area Human Services, will present “Being Intentional about Suicide Prevention.”
  • Alex Juan, LDVA Women Veterans Outreach Coordinator will present “Many Roles. One Mission: Together, We Can Make a Difference.”
  • Donald Green, Strength & Conditioning Coach with Bayou Aesthetics will present “Hero Workout: Training Through Stress”

LDVA’s 2nd Annual Suicide Prevention Summit is free to the public, but registration is required in order to attend. Please register at: LDVA 2nd Annual Suicide Prevention Summit.

If you are a veteran, or know one who needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255, and press 1. We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.