PAINTSVILLE, Ky. (WYMT) – The Kentucky Governor’s Challenge, Service Members, Veterans, and their Families (SMVF) Task Force hosted the Suicide Awareness and Lethal Means Safety Summit.

This was the first of four summits the SMVF Task Force plans to hold throughout the commonwealth.

The goal of the Suicide Awareness and Lethal Means Safety Summit was to give mental health professionals, state agencies, and community partners the opportunity to network and share efforts that work in their communities.

“Well, we are definitely planning to take as much knowledge as possible back to our program to see what programs we can implement, what resources we can bring to our service members to really bolster our efforts in the primary prevention of suicide,” said Integrated Primary Prevention Officer with the Kentucky National Guard, Annell Lough.

The Kentucky Department of Veteran Affairs Commissioner, Whitney Allen Jr. said that having a strong, family-like network to support veterans.

“They have served through the military where it’s a close-knit family and after they left service there’s sometimes there are gap so having these programs, having these agencies come together to share resources, share information share practices is very important for that veteran,” said Allen.

One of the Co-Leads for the Governor’s Challenge and Executive Director of the Office of Kentucky Veteran Services, Silas Session said that any life lost is too many and he is glad to be a part of this bigger conversation.

“If we can have a real discussion to help save lives, who wouldn’t want to be apart of that conversation I believe the commonwealth is full of people who want to put all differences aside and have this conversation,” said Session.

The Office of Kentucky Veterans Services offers a variety of programs to veterans who may be struggling in their transition.

For a full list of these programs click here.

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