Resources
We are a community of like minded and like hearted people. We are a tribe ready and willing to help when needed
HicksStrong was born from profound loss. In 2019, the Hicks family faced the devastating suicide of their son and brother, Active-Duty Navy Airman Macoy Hicks, a victim of PTSD, TBI, and a toxic command environment. Driven by grief and a fierce determination to prevent similar tragedies, they founded HicksStrong. We provide immediate, barrier-free access to mental health support for active-duty military, veterans, and their families (18+) through telehealth therapy, covering all costs. Additionally, our Hug Mug Paint & Save program delivers tangible symbols of hope and connection, while simultaneously raising critical awareness and fostering community support to save military lives.
The National Alliance for Mental Illness is the nation's largest grassroots organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
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Kendel Paulsen, owner of Purpose Driven Life Coach, LLC, specializes in working with women who are struggling to find their identity in the chaos of life, family, and/or career. Kendel succeeds in bringing forth from her clients their purpose driven goals even if the client arrives with more questions than answers. Kendel’s aim with each coach-client relationship is the creation and support of a concrete and workable strategy that ensures success.
First sessions are ALWAYS free = FREE 30 Minute Introductory Session - military active duty, spouses and veterans/retirees receive a 20% discount off of the $90/hr. fee
Success is Living Your Purpose
Suicide has no single cause and no one approach can end it—but prevention is possible, especially when Veterans find support before a crisis happens.
VA’s National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide and the White House’s national strategy to reduce military and Veteran suicide focus on clinical interventions and community-based outreach prevention strategies. That means everyone—friends, relatives, caregivers, community members, and health care providers―has a role to play in keeping Veterans safe and healthy. This whole-of-community approach to preventing suicide can be seen in VA-lead programs and initiatives, such as the Governor’s and Mayor’s Challenges to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members and the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program.
Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) helps veterans and service members like you get back to the life you deserve by managing the overwhelming effects of traumatic experiences. Through Warrior Care Network®, you can find fast and lasting relief from the disruptive symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health challenges. With this care, you’ll sleep better, ease anxiety and depression, and rebuild relationships while restoring your overall well-being.
Military and Veteran Suicide Rates
While anyone can experience suicide risks, certain groups have substantially higher rates of suicide than the general U.S. population. Veterans bear a disproportionate but preventable burden. Tragically, out of the approximately 129 suicides per day in 2021, 17 of those lives lost were Veterans. In 2021, among the average of 17.5 Veteran suicides per day, an estimated 6.65 suicides per day were among those with VHA encounters in 2020 or 2021, whereas 10.85 per day were among Veterans with no VHA encounter in 2020 or 2021.3
Of the 46,412 suicides among adults in the U.S., there were 6,392 Veteran suicides (114 more than in 2020). Overall, the number and rate of suicide deaths increased from 2020 to 2021 for Veterans, non-Veteran adults, and U.S. adults.3
Understanding the causes of death from suicide has been the subject of scientific research for decades. In recent years, the increasing suicide rates among Veterans and active duty military members has brought predictors of suicide with specific relevance to these populations to the forefront of the research in this area (e.g., PTSD). Most of this work has focused on PTSD and suicidal ideation or suicide attempt, and provided evidence for these associations (see Additional Citations for a brief summary of some well-done studies in this area). Research on predictors of suicidal behavior like ideation and attempts is critical; however, it does not necessarily provide information about the association between PTSD and death from suicide.
Signed into law in 2020, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act authorized 988 as the new three-digit number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. As part of the law, all telephone service providers in the U.S. had to activate the number no later than July 16, 2022.
Veterans can use this new option by dialing 988 and pressing 1 to contact the Veterans Crisis Line. Veterans may still reach the Veterans Crisis Line with the previous phone number—1-800-273-8255 and Press 1—by text (838255), and through chat (VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat).