Centerstone awarded $750K suicide prevention grant to help veterans in St. Louis metro

Centerstone awarded Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox suicide prevention grant from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

St. Louis — Centerstone, the nation’s largest nonprofit mental health system, has been awarded the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The grant will provide $750,000 to help engage veterans in suicide prevention services and connect them to earned VA health care and benefits. Centerstone will work closely with the VA as part of the grant and will have the opportunity to renew the grant for two additional years, with the potential for total project funding of $2.25 million.

Centerstone’s Military Services will use the funds to focus on proactive outreach, screening and care navigation to ensure veterans are identified, supported and successfully linked to VA services and community-based care. The program is specifically designed to reduce barriers to access and ensure veterans enroll in and utilize the benefits and behavioral health services available to them, and is designed to attract veterans who are not currently connected to the VA.

Services will be available to eligible veterans in the St. Louis metro area, as well as veterans in Southern Illinois and the Metro East.

“This grant allows Centerstone’s Military Services to identify veterans who may not be currently engaged with VA care and connect them with the services and benefits they’ve earned,” said Anna Goletz, chief operating officer of Centerstone’s Military Services. “Our goal is to provide timely, culturally competent support to reduce suicide risk and help veterans access the care they deserve.”

Through the program, Centerstone’s Military Services will:

• Conduct targeted community outreach to identify Veterans not currently engaged in VA services.
• Screen individuals for suicide risk using evidence-based tools.
• Provide individualized care navigation to assist Veterans in enrolling in VA health care and benefits.
• Coordinate warm hand-offs to local VA facilities and community providers for behavioral health treatment and crisis services.
• Support veterans in addressing social determinants of health, including housing, employment, transportation and financial stability.

The Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program supports community-based organizations in reducing veteran suicide by improving access to and coordination of services, particularly for Veterans who are not receiving VA care.

Veterans in the St. Louis region, Southern Illinois and the Metro East who are seeking support through this program can learn more at centerstone.org/veterans.