The Strong Veterans Act of 2022 requires VA to conduct an annual Buddy Check Week. During the week of Oct. 16-20, all Veterans are invited to complete peer wellness, resiliency and S.A.V.E. training with a pledge to talk to 10 Veterans, families and caregivers and/or survivors. VA’s goal is to increase access to VA health and benefits, improve mental health, increase awareness on suicide prevention, decrease isolation and support peer networking.
There are many non-VA, no-cost community resources available to support Buddy Check Week, such as American Legion, where buddy wellness checks are encouraged to reconnect with Veterans who may need assistance. American Legion and VA have partnered together to host a kickoff webinar on Oct. 16 at 1 p.m. EST and share the value of checking in with friends and families from service. Please join us to hear from VA’s Chief Veterans Experience Officer John Boerstler and Dr. Matt Miller, director of the Suicide Prevention Program in VA’s Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.
The Veteran Wellness Alliance also offers services through Connect With Peers as a great way to link up with buddies and peers, with organizations such as Team RWB, Travis Manion Foundation, Team Rubicon, Elizabeth Dole Foundation, Team 43, Student Veterans of America, The Mission Continues and Wounded Warrior Project.
Connecting with Veterans’ families, caregivers and survivors is just as important for those who may need assistance or just a friend to talk to. Here are some other resources to help: American Red Cross Military and Veteran Caregiver Network (MVCN) and Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS).
MVCN Buddy Check Week – YouTube
Hope for the Warriors – YouTube
Finding Friends and sharing stories
Join us for a VeTALKX Buddy Check Week Q&A Chat on RallyPoint to share your questions and how your buddy checks are going now through Oct. 23. VA and community experts will be available to answer your questions in the chat on Oct. 16 from 2 to 3 p.m. EST, regarding VA resources and referrals, peer wellness, resiliency and crisis intervention.
We also invite you to post your buddy check stories on TWS Buddy Check Week now through Oct. 31. Need help finding that buddy you’ve been thinking about? Create an account with Together We Served (TWS) and use their extensive search engine to help find other TWS members who served in your unit. Check out these News posts:
Together We Served.com provides faster method to find old service friends – VA News
Rally Point and the power of military friendships – VA News
VA Resources
Checking in with your buddies and friends from service builds trust and hope in a way that Veteran peers can relate to. Many of your friends may be doing well, while others need assistance from the community or VA in some way. Share the MyVA 411 Call Center and REACH as a gateway for needed resources. MyVA 411 can help your friends with health care, community care, memorial affairs, crisis, debt management, facility locator, benefits assistance, homelessness, and PACT Act and COVID-19 information.
Sharing the VA Welcome Kit will also be helpful for your buddies and friends that need more information on VA services and benefits. Your battle buddies and friends from service may be experiencing a variety of stressors in their life and it’s important to have the right resources handy when talking about life—past, present and future.
Take the VA S.A.V.E. training and gain an understanding of what to do if a Veteran is at risk of suicide.
The Veterans Crisis Line is the fastest way to get help if your buddy is in crisis or at risk of killing themselves. Dial 988 then Press 1 if you encounter a friend needing help now. You can text the Veterans Crisis Line at 838255 or chat with a responder via the website.
Other Veteran Service Organization (VSO) resources
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