The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion today authored by Supervisor Kathryn Barger that creates more awareness regarding suicide prevention in Los Angeles County.

“We need to do all that is possible to reduce the number of suicide deaths in Los Angeles County,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “There are many people who are still struggling with the emotional impact and strain of the pandemic, inflation, and other stressors and may feel on the edge. We have a collective responsibility to be on the lookout for behaviors and signs that indicate someone is contemplating taking their life. Suicide is preventable and the County has resources to help anyone who is struggling.”

The motion noted the resources provided by Los Angeles County’s Department of Mental Health that raise awareness about suicide prevention through community resources and training initiatives, such as the Partners in Suicide Prevention, and DMH’s Help Line where caring listeners provide support, referrals and resources to the community. The toll-free Department of Mental Health Help Line number is (800) 854-7771, which is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is 9-8-8.

The proclamation was made the same week L.A. County will kick off its newly formed Veteran Suicide Review Team.

On Thursday, Sept. 29, Los Angeles County will officially launch the Veteran Suicide Review Team (VSRT), a collaborative between city, county, federal and private agencies to reduce veteran suicide in L.A. County.

The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health will serve as lead in the project, working closely with Public Health, Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veteran Affairs and the US Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Medical Examiner/Coroner to implement a data-driven and a collaborative death review process to collect data, analyze veteran suicides, and identify gaps in service to enhance support structures.

The core team participating in the monthly reviews consists of multiple county agencies, VA VISN 22 and associated VA medical centers, FBI, CalVet, L.A. City, and suicide-specific veteran community organizations who will work together to review data brought in from each of their departments to best identify trends to shape future strategy.

The L.A. County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the pilot program based on recommendations of a study released last year. The study revealed a 16% increase in veteran suicide from 2017 to 2018 in L.A. County.

Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Sheila Kuehl co-authored the motion, which was adopted in February, 2022.

“Creating this team of experts to take a deep look at what can be done to mitigate veteran suicides is extremely important,” said Barger. “The county has a big role to play when it comes to providing support services and being a resource for our veterans. I’m looking forward to hearing what the review team finds, and their actionable recommendations. It’s imperative that we step up to serve our veteran community and provide them with a security net so they can thrive.”

“The Veteran Suicide Review Team is an important step on the path to end veteran suicide in Los Angeles County,” said Dr. Lisa H. Wong, Acting Director of Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. “Working with our Co-Chairs for this pilot program—the Office of Violence and Prevention, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Desert Pacific-Healthcare Network and Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner, we will have the facts and essential data to identify trends that will inform countywide strategies for suicide prevention, intervention and postvention.”

More information about this first-of-its-kind team and model can be found here.