VA S.A.V.E. – A Community-Based Approach to Preventing Veterans Suicide
We are honored to have as our January 2025 MRS speaker Mr. Gary Cunha. Since 2007 he has been the Suicide Prevention Coordinator of the Durham Veterans Administration Medical Center. His job is to identify veterans with an elevated risk for suicide, to arrange for the care they need, to train staff, and to coordinate with other relevant services.
A Marine combat veteran himself, Gary studied psychology at ECU and completed his master’s in social work. Before becoming Suicide Prevention Coordinator, he worked with the PTSD clinical team and with services for ex-Prisoners of War. He says his last name rhymes with “tuna.”
His talk to us will be titled “VA S.A.V.E. – A Community-Based Approach to Preventing Veterans Suicide.” The acronym S.A.V.E. is a memory device for a 4-phase approach to preventing suicide.
The meeting will be on Sunday, January 26, 2025. We will gather at 7 p.m., eat a potluck dinner at 7:30, and begin the program at 8.