TMF Programs Offer Proactive Approach to Mental Health and Suicide Prevention

The statistics are as alarming as they are heartbreaking. 

Since September 11, 2001, more than four times as many service members and veterans have died by suicide than were killed in combat. That’s 30,000 men and women who suffered in silence and saw no other way forward. The sense of isolation and disconnection that can occur when veterans take off the uniform for the last time is widespread and dire—but it doesn’t have to be this way.  

This month, TMF is addressing the veteran mental health crisis—and rallying our community to face this crisis together. 
 

Proactive Approach to Mental Health

Two primary predictors of veteran suicide are loss of purpose and loss of community. TMF research has found that engaging with our programming fills those two voids. Veterans in our community report a: 

• 20% positive increase in mental health 

• 60% increase in feelings of connectedness 

While clinical mental health care remains important, a key component of TMF’s mission is to play a part in suicide prevention before the point of crisis. Through programs that engage them in personal development, empower them to become leaders in their communities, and give them an opportunity to inspire youth, TMF veterans find purpose and meaning post-service.  

Personal Development for Veterans

TMF offers several pathways for veterans to find what they need, whether it’s connecting with others who have been where they’ve been, opportunities to serve their country in new ways, or confidence-building leadership courses.  

THRIVE: Mental Health & Well-Being Seminar

This virtual course equips veterans with the necessary tools to recognize and respond to signs of unmet mental health needs in their peers. They also learn how to develop strategies to help them flourish in their own lives.  

Spartan Leadership Program (SLP)

Through this 7-month proprietary self-development program, veterans and families of the fallen have a unique opportunity to connect with people who understand them while they reflect on their strengths and skills and develop plans to serve their communities.  

For veteran Doug Merritt, the fulfillment he found through SLP after 30 years in the Army was provident. He had been experiencing PTSD, several health issues and, in his words, “I was doing a lot of things that weren’t helpful.” He was also disconnected from a community. “I was in such need of finding friendship, a team, my own tribe,” he says. “TMF was the right thing at the right time. It was the catalyst for me to turn a bad situation into a good situation.” 

Character Does Matter (CDM)

This hallmark youth mentoring program trains veterans to connect with youth and find purpose in teaching the next generation about the importance of living with character.  

When Lee Rollins medically retired from the Army after 21 years, anxiety attacks and fear of the unknown overwhelmed him. Within two years, he had spiraled to a dark place. “I had my toes on the edge of the abyss,” he says. “I was barely existing.”  

Once Lee connected with the TMF mission, everything changed. Adopting the “If Not Me, Then Who…” ethos, serving as a Character Does Matter Mentor to youth and connecting with others through service “made me want to be here,” he says. Through TMF, “I rebuilt the team I was missing after leaving the Army,” Lee added. “I want other veterans to know, hanging up your uniform is not the end. It’s actually the beginning.”  

TMF’s growth has led to an expanded presence in nearly 60 communities across the country, allowing even more veterans to access the programs and resources they need to thrive after hanging up the uniform.  

If you or someone you love is in immediate crisis, including contemplating suicide, call 911 or dial 988, then press 1. The Veteran Crisis Line is a free, 24/7 confidential resource that connects veterans or their loved ones to a real person specifically trained to support them. For more information, click here.