Submitted
Since early 2022, the Hamilton County Stronger Veterans, Stronger Communities (SVSC) Coalition on the Prevention of Suicide in Service Members, Veterans, their Families and Caregivers has been leading the way in saving lives.
For us to reach the Veteran who is not connected, who is feeling alone, who might cause harm to themselves, we know it will take our whole community.
Every project undertaken by SVSC is driven by a shared commitment to reducing veteran suicide. We are excited to share that veteran death by suicide here in Hamilton County has decreased 64 percent since the growing number was recognized in 2021 with 13 deaths; in 2022, eight deaths; in 2023, nine deaths; in 2024, fewer than five deaths. (Data provided through the Hamilton County Health Department.)
This milestone, met through three years of collaborative work, demonstrates the collective commitment that continues to remain strong as we move through 2025 and into 2026, continuously reassessing suicide prevention needs in Hamilton County and evolving our approach to better serve the military-connected community.
SVSC’s history
SVSC was created under the umbrella of A Healthier Hamilton County: Systems of Care (a non-profit organization bringing about health awareness in the county) and is made up of local veterans, veteran-serving organizations, organizations who serve the community, local government leaders, volunteers, and more.
In 2023, IU Health graciously funded part of our Coalition building capacity and helped us engage important partners, thought leaders and most importantly, our veterans and military-connected families.
In 2024, we teamed with the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) as we became their pilot project in the state’s “Community Challenge” on Military Veteran Suicide Prevention. SVSC built the plan and brought in the community, state, and federal resources and directed this plan within the county through Fiscal Year 2025 with great positive results.
In Fiscal Year 2025, the SVSC coalition, with funding from the IDVA, established purposeful goals, forged meaningful connections, and built strong partnerships with many local state and federal organizations, all aimed at reducing veteran suicide in Hamilton County.
In the Fiscal Year 2026 state budget, there will no longer be direct funding to the SVSC coalition; however, with help from our partners and other organizations/foundations who wish to help, we will continue bringing the resources to the community. With your help, the work we do will not only be saving the lives of our Military Veteran community, we are also saving lives of all our residents who might not have been connected before.
What SVSC does
SVSC meets monthly as a whole and has three active workgroups:
- Pillar One, Identification, is looking to locate where our active military, national guard, and veterans are so we may get them connected. The Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) set up a QR code and “Ask the Question” initiative which changed the typical “Are you a veteran?” question to “Have you or a family member served in the U.S. Military?” If your business or organization is interested in helping identify our active military, national guard and veterans, please reach out to Kristen Ludeker-Seibert at info@hamiltoncountyinsvsc.org.
- Pillar Two, Connection, this is where SVSC creates ways to make that connection with the military veteran community and introduce them to the resources/services they need to make that positive change in their lives and live a more fulfilled life here at home. From community resource fairs, to sporting events, to businesses or other organizations hosting events, we are there to make those connections.
- Pillar Three, Lethal Means Safety, is all about creating a safe zone in that military veteran’s life, especially when that veteran is in a crisis. From providing gun locks and safe use information to trainings on firearms, gun locks/safes, QPR/VA-SAVE suicide prevention training and how to administer Narcan. Over 1,000 individuals were trained in Narcan use and over 1,000 individuals were trained in suicide prevention, including two trainings in veteran spaces specific to VA-SAVE, veteran suicide prevention.
If you or your organization would like to join the Stronger Veterans Stronger Communities coalition, please reach out to Kristen Ludeker-Seibert at info@hamiltoncountyinsvsc.org or go to hamiltoncountyinsvsc.org. If you or your organization or foundation would like to help support or sponsor our efforts in creating a safer place for everyone to live, please visit hamiltoncountyphhc.org/donate.
