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🪖 Mission Monday: Every Step We Take Together Brings Healing Closer


At the Fayette County Military Suicide Prevention Coalition (FCMSPC), our mission is clear: Prevent military and veteran suicide through community action, mental health support, and remembrance. Because every life matters. Every story matters. And every step we take together brings healing closer. 🖤

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The Urgent Need for Action


The statistics are sobering — and they demand our attention:


  • According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, an estimated 6,392 veterans died by suicide in 2021. While this reflects a slight decrease compared to previous years, the rate of suicide among veterans remains 57% higher than that of non-veteran U.S. adults【Source: VA 2024 Annual Report】.

  • Veterans accounted for approximately 13.7% of all suicides among U.S. adults, despite representing only about 7.5% of the adult population【Source: VA 2024 Annual Report】.

  • In Kentucky, the suicide mortality rate among veterans is approximately 25% higher than the national veteran average【Source: America's Health Rankings 2023 Report - United Health Foundation】.

  • Firearms were involved in 72% of veteran suicide deaths, making access to lethal means a key area for intervention【Source: VA 2024 Annual Report】.


These are not just numbers — they represent real lives: our battle buddies, siblings, sons, daughters, spouses, neighbors, and friends.

At FCMSPC, we believe that one life lost is one too many. That’s why we are building a coalition grounded in action, connection, compassion, and purpose.


Our Approach: Community Action, Mental Health Support, Remembrance


Community Action: We unite individuals, organizations, nonprofits, healthcare systems, veteran groups, educational institutions, and advocates. Through workshops, community trainings, events like the Military & Veteran Boots Ball, and public awareness campaigns, we empower our community to recognize the signs of crisis and take informed action.


Mental Health Support: We strengthen access to trauma-informed mental health services, peer support, crisis intervention resources, and evidence-based prevention strategies — ensuring no veteran or military family member faces their struggles alone.


Remembrance: Through decorated military boot memorials, storytelling tributes, and remembrance events, we honor the lives we have lost, lift up those who survive, and create healing spaces for grief, connection, and hope.


Therapeutic Tip of the Week:


Ground Yourself with the 5-4-3-2-1 Technique


When emotions feel overwhelming, grounding exercises can help reconnect you to the present — offering a powerful tool to calm the nervous system, reduce anxiety, and center yourself.


Here’s how it works:

  • 5: Identify five things you can see.

  • 4: Notice four things you can feel.

  • 3: Listen for three things you can hear.

  • 2: Detect two things you can smell.

  • 1: Acknowledge one thing you can taste.


🖤 Why It Matters: Grounding interrupts spirals of distress and reconnects you to the here and now — making it easier to cope with intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, or moments of crisis.


Step Into Purpose With Us


At the Fayette County Military Suicide Prevention Coalition, you are never alone in this fight.Whether you are a veteran, service member, family member, mental health provider, community leader, or ally — your voice, your compassion, and your action matter.


✅ Attend a training or event.

✅ Share mental health resources in your network.

✅ Volunteer or join our coalition.

✅ Become an advocate for safe firearm storage and crisis support.

✅ Reach out and check in with those you love.


Together, we can build a future where fewer military families know the pain of loss — and more veterans find hope, healing, and community.


Written by Tamika Saxx


United States Army Veteran | Military Spouse | Multi-Branch Military Family Member

Licensed Mental Health Therapist

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Military & Veteran Behavioral Health Strategist | New Vista

Executive Director & President| Fayette County Military Suicide Prevention Coalition


📚 Sources:

  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report

  • America's Health Rankings, 2023 Annual Report on Veteran Health, United Health Foundation

  • U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Vital Statistics Reports 2023

 
 
 

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