Be the One

The program will help destigmatize asking for mental health support, provide peer-to-peer support and resources, and educate everyone on how they can Be the One. 

Why do we have Be The One? Click here for a short video

Why is this a priority right now? 

Today, the No. 1 issue facing the veteran community is suicide, according to the National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report. It is estimated that between 17 and 22 veterans or servicemembers take their lives each day. That’s more than 6,000 annually. The rate of suicide for veterans is more than 50% higher than that of non-veteran adults. As time passes we are seeing more veterans facing mental-health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder. 

What will Be the One achieve? 

At its core, The American Legion has a national platform to help reduce the rate of veteran suicide. The Be the One campaign will: 

• Destigmatize asking for mental health support, creating opportunity for those with mental health issues to speak freely and get the support they need. 
• Provide peer-to-peer support and resources in local communities. (See our Peer Group Support pages)
• Deploy FDA-approved therapeutics for veterans to identify issues and find resources for support. 

You can Be The One to help end veteran suicide. We are not just talking about the numbers of veteran suicdes, we are taking action to help end it. This next section describes one simple step you can take to help.

Be The One: 90 minutes to save a veteran's life

As part of The American Legion Be the One mission to end veteran suicide, we have joined forces with Columbia University to develop training for those who want to learn more about interacting and responding with veterans who may be in crisis. 

After the training, participants will be able to:

• Use the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale to determine at-risk individuals.
• Identify risk factors and warning signs
• Outline the types of suicidal ideation and four behaviors that indicate imminent risk.
• Communicate effectively with an individual who may be at risk of hurting themselves.

Members of The American Legion Family are encouraged to take part in this training and share the training with their communities. Check back to this page or subscribe to The American Legion Online Update newsletter (Opens in a new window) to receive information about new training opportunities as they become available.

IMPORTANT NOTE: All attendees will be asked to complete an online survey before the class and upon completion. These surveys help track the effectiveness of the training and allow us to plan for future development.