Amid the covid-19 pandemic, a potential solution to an existing epidemic has slipped under the radar — but it cannot be ignored.

The White House recently formed a new task force and announced The President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS). The PREVENTS task force came up with 10 recommendations to set this plan into motion, including launching a public health campaign, working with employers on offering educational programming and training, and partnering with community organizations on proven methods to halt veteran suicide.

As a military spouse, I have spent my career finding ways to improve service members’ and veterans’ access to care, especially mental health services. And as president of MyAdvisor, I’ve overseen the development of technological solutions to connect licensed medical professionals, social workers, nutritionists and financial experts to veterans across the country in the comfort of their own home.

We offer these insights for organizations that want to be a part of the solution and support the PREVENTS plan.

1. Focus the conversation on more than suicidal thoughts. As part of the PREVENTS plan, a public health campaign, REACH, aims to change the conversation about suicide and create an environment in which people reach out to those who may be vulnerable, as well as dispel misinformation or misunderstanding and encourage all 50 states to sign a nationwide proclamation to show their commitment to preventing suicide among veterans.

Mental health and suicidal thoughts don’t just happen overnight, and people aren’t usually forthcoming in talking about them. That’s why it’s important for the public and organizations to know the warnings of a mental health disorder.

For example, sleep issues often are viewed as the door to mental health concerns. In fact, studies show that poor sleeping habits can actually contribute to new mental health problems, and people tend to feel more comfortable discussing their sleeping behaviors. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has a long list of warning signs, as well.

2. Suicide prevention trainings and mental health programs shouldn’t just take place in corporate America. Companies and employers are a crucial piece of the PREVENTS plan. One of its key objectives is to provide comprehensive suicide prevention trainings within the workplace. Employers will soon have an opportunity to participate in a pledge and gain access to a tool kit to help them implement mental health and wellness programs in their workplaces.

While corporate America is one place to start, we must make sure we include all lines of work. People in at-risk occupations, such as EMTs, police officers, firefighters, nurses, physicians and others frequently exposed to life-changing or life-threatening events, like many others in our society, may feel isolated when thinking about reaching out for support and intervention. And it’s not just our first responders. In recent years, other professions, such as teaching, have become increasingly stressful .

3. Give employees access to customizable and affordable mental health programs. The task force aims to partner with community-based organizations that have proven mental health and suicide prevention programs.

Due to covid-19, telehealth services are probably here to stay. If a company is looking to provide mental health programs to its employees, it should consider tele-mental health programming that offers employees flexibility and proven methods of success.

It’s good to see progress on this critical issue. Hopefully many others will not only join the conversation, but participate.

Jennifer Christman is president of MyAdvisor.

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