The rate of suicide in the military has increased 40% since 2014, from a rate of 18.5 per 100,000 to 25.9 per 100,000. The rate of suicides in military veterans is slightly higher, at more than 27 per 100,000. In addition, in the US, it is estimated that there are approximately 30 suicide attempts for every 1 suicide completion. Thus, suicide is a highly prevalent concern.In addition to the tragic loss of life that comes with a completed suicide, living with suicidal ideation is incredibly painful. In this installment of the “Veterans’ Lived Experience” series, George Mason’s MVFI and the Veterans Health and Wellness Foundation partner to bring you one service member’s story of struggles with suicidality, along with commentary and resources from a mental health expert who works with service members and veterans who experience suicidal ideation and attempt suicide. Join us to hear from MSG Tom Cruz, recipient of the 2017 SAMHSA Voice Award in Consumer Family Peer Leadership, and Dr. Sarah Carter, Research Assistant Professor with the Suicide CPR Initiative at the Uniformed Services University for Health Sciences.

Once registration is complete, you will receive an automatic confirmation email with the Zoom log-in information. We encourage you to save it to your calendar, but reminder emails will go out two days prior to the event and an hour prior.

Please note, this event will be recorded for the sponsoring organizations’ websites. We encourage interaction, but do note if your camera is on, you may be recorded. We ask that all participants please fill out THIS Consent Form. Thanks for your support in sharing our important series with others who may benefit from our discussion.

Speakers

MSG Tom Cruz: MSG Tom Cruz is an Active Duty Master Sergeant in the Unites States Army with over 25 years of service. He has deployed in support of Operation Joint Guardian, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Jordan. In 2010, he attempted to take his own life, after which he became a leading advocate of suicide awareness and prevention for Veterans. He assisted in pioneering two organizations to identify and assist Veterans with mental health issues, suicidal ideations, relationship issues, financial concerns and other Veteran specific issues. In addition, his own personal recovery has helped to begin to break the stigma within the military on career status, family life and security clearance myths. MSG Cruz is a Master Resilience Trained Level One Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Trainer, with additional Question-Persuade-Refer and Army Suicide Intervention training. He is also the Program Director for Suicide and Awareness with Veterans Counseling Veterans, a member of the advisory board for OurDataHelps.org, a former advisor to Animal Rescue & Veteran Support Services, a former panel member of the Center of Innovation on Disability and Rehabilitation Research with University of South Florida, and a former subject matter expert for the White House and Office of the Surgeon General. In 2017, he received the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Voice Award for Consumer/Peer/Family Leadership, in recognition of his work to ensure America’s military and veteran communities have access to the mental health and substance use treatment and services they deserve.


Dr. Sarah Carter: Dr. Sarah Carter earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from George Mason University and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System and University of Washington School of Public Health. As a Research Assistant Professor at the Uniformed Services University, Dr. Carter’s research explores how interpersonal relationships relate to suicide and mental health among military service members, veterans, and families with the goal of preventing suicide by enhancing romantic, peer, and community relationships.