Suicide awareness: Where to get help

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Holly Cook
  • 81st Training Wing Public Affairs

As we head into the new year, Team Keesler is taking on suicide awareness to help those in need. The Air Force and Defense Department have created several programs and agencies for service members and their families who are facing struggles with their mental health.

At Keesler we have the Mental Health Clinic located in the Keesler Medical Center which can assist military members who need help with suicidal thoughts, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, complications from deployments and other issues personnel might have that could affect their overall mental health. Military members can call the clinic to make an appointment or if it is urgent, they can walk in to the clinic and be seen as soon as possible.

Military members, dependents and government civilians at Keesler can also utilize the chaplain corps located at the Larcher and Triangle Chapels. This service is provided with full confidentiality and can help members with thoughts of suicide, relationship problems, loneliness, grief due to loss and even complications due to financial issues.

Keesler personnel and their families can go to the Airman and Family Readiness Center and the Military Family Life Consultant for help with complications in their mental health, problems with adjusting to retirement or upcoming separation from the military or workplace stress.

Other programs like Military Onesource, Veterans/Military Crisis Line and the Employee Assistance Program are available to military members, their families and government civilians.

For more information on how to overcome suicide or any problems causing you stress, go to www.resilience.af.mil.

We also encourage military members, family members, government civilians and base contractors to reach out to their unit leadership, supervisors, wingmen or key spouses for help. If you are having thoughts of suicide call 911 or go to the emergency room immediately.