Over the winter and into the spring, the Veterans Committee moved closer to a launch date for our mental health support hotline for UWUA members — our top priority this year. We are very happy to report that the hotline will be available this summer.
This effort has grown well beyond the Veterans Committee and has been supported by the National officers, the National Executive Board, and, most of all, by the members who have answered the call for volunteers. These folks have given considerable time and energy to the vetting and training process. Without them, we would not have been able to move forward.
Nineteen UWUA members from across the country are now certified to provide support when our members call. Each volunteer has completed a fourteen-hour course and passed a final exam, certifying them in the QPR (Question, Persuade, and Refer) method. QPR is widely recognized as a highly effective approach to crisis intervention and suicide prevention. If you are interested in participating as a volunteer, receiving the training, and staffing the phone lines, please email cericksen@uwua.net. We are always seeking additional support and would be happy to add you to the schedule.
While we hope there is never a need for anyone to call, statistics and personal experience tell us otherwise. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Suicidal individuals — especially men, and especially veterans — rarely ask for help. Studies show that success rates for suicide prevention increase dramatically when help is offered proactively, without waiting for someone to reach out. These realities have driven this effort from the beginning.
As we prepare to launch the hotline, the real work is just beginning. This new mental health service represents an important investment in our members. Check www.uwua.net and UWUA’s Facebook and Instagram accounts for details and the official launch date.
This is not about wages or benefits; it is a long-term investment in the mental health of our union’s greatest resource — our brothers and sisters.