Veteran Coffee Socials for Suicide Prevention in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties, Florida
Joe Bohn, PhD, MBA, University of South Florida, College of Public Health
Tommy Childers, PhD, US Navy Veteran, Submarine Service
After COVID-19 lockdowns in 2021, many felt a need to strengthen connections. The importance of human connectedness after many months of isolation for so many brought many groups to re-establish efforts to bring people together to provide resources, education, and advocacy for suicide prevention and risk reduction. One effort focused on the veteran’s community that started in Pinellas County, FL. Growing Hope in March 2022 led to the launch of an expanded effort in Hillsborough County, FL (Hope and Action Initiative) in September 2023 with a broader focus on suicide prevention and risk reduction not just for veterans but also for our first responders and active-duty service members. This short article is a synopsis of the purpose, theoretical basis, and the intervention that emerged with a focus on the Hillsborough County effort.
The strategic purpose of what was needed was the strengthening of social connectedness, reducing stigma related to mental health and wellbeing for Veterans and active-duty service members, and expanding awareness about resources available to help those in need. A theoretical basis for this effort was social capital theory–which is based on building trust and relational embeddedness to strengthen social ties for those in need. With these two points in mind, an expanded community-based intervention was created by a group of veteran-centric partners to aid this at-risk population and strengthen protective factors for suicide prevention.
The monthly coffee socials have been held at partner organizations across the county. A public health approach was adopted to expand networking and connection opportunities for Veterans and among community partners with a Veteran focus.
Monthly participation over the past two years has included local Veterans Administration (VA) medical centers, suicide prevention representative, community mental health providers, non-profits, health systems, local universities, and state legislative affairs aids all with an interest in strengthening resilience in the local Veterans, first responder and law enforcement (many of whom are veterans), and active duty personnel population for suicide prevention.
Contact Information
References
Bohn, Joe; Childers, Tommy; and Baglivo, Christopher (2022) “Community Approaches to Veterans and Active-Duty Service Member Suicide Prevention Through Public Health Outreach: A Commentary,” Florida Public Health Review: Vol. 19, Article 11. Available at: https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/fphr/vol19/iss1/11
