NATIONAL NEWS
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Based on current reports by the Department of Veterans Affairs, 20 veterans commit suicide each day. A 2018 Centers for Disease Control report indicates that suicide overall has risen in the United States over the last 25 years.
The PREVENTS Task Force will create a comprehensive national ‘roadmap’ that plans to coordinate state, regional, business, nonprofit, faith-based, academic and community efforts with the federal government.
Founder and President of “Give an Hour,” Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen has been named the Executive Director of the Task Force to create the President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS).
NETWORK OF 7,000 LICENSED MENTAL
HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Under Dr. Van Dahlen’s leadership, “Give an Hour” has grown to be a network of 7,000 licensed mental health professionals who combined, have provided over 284,000 hours of free care to those in need valued at over $28M. For her dedication and the impact of her work on the mental health field, Dr. Van Dahlen was recognized by TIME Magazine in 2012 as “One of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.”
The Task Force will be co-chaired by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy. Eight cabinet members will also be involved including the Secretaries of Defense, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services as well as top officials from other key government entities such as Office of Management and Budget and National Security Affairs.
“I am honored to lead this effort and humbled by the extraordinary opportunity to serve our Nation’s veterans and their families,” said Dr. Van Dahlen.
“By coordinating the good work already being done in suicide prevention across the country, by facilitating collaboration and by empowering our veterans, we will save lives and develop an approach that can be applied to other at-risk communities,” she said.
“Give an Hour” seeks to develop networks of skill-based volunteer professionals capable of responding to both acute and chronic conditions prevalent within society.