The VA has proclaimed this week, October 21-25 Veteran buddy check week. The VA established Veteran Buddy Checks to encourage peer-to-peer connections among Veterans. The goal is to reduce isolation, support peer crisis intervention, and increase access to both VA and community care and services.
As a part of this program the VA offers the VA SAVE training program. This training helps to develop the skills you may need to effectively ‘check in’ with buddies in crisis. It also helps you to recognize the various symptoms of a Vet in crisis and teaches you how best to deal with them. Your editor took it a few years back for the first time, and it was well worth the 30 or so minutes it takes to complete.
Another part of the program is the pledge to talk to ten. This pledge is a way to increase Veteran outreach among the community.
This is also a good time to reconnect with your Basic Training/Boot camp buddies that you’ve lost contact with. Both RallyPoint and Together We Served offer resources for finding a lost comrade-in-arms.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, dial 899 and press 1. That’s the number for the Veterans Crisis Center and is the fastest way to get help.
Here are some other ways to contact the VA for assistance.
- 1-800-MyVA411 (1-800-698-2411) is always the right number. Get help with such topics as health care, community care, memorial affairs, crisis, debt management, benefits assistance, homelessness, and PACT Act information.
- VA.gov/REACH offers a variety of resources to assist Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors with many of life’s challenges, including career, education, and health care needs.
- The VA Welcome Kit may also prove helpful for your buddies who need more information on VA benefits, programs, and services.