Help Save Lives: Veterans Crisis Line Yard Signs Available for Distribution

This September, Veterans, community groups and individuals are invited to increase awareness of the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) among Veterans by helping to place 1,000 VCL yard signs across Central Minnesota. 

Participants are asked to distribute a minimum of 5 VCL yard signs and those receiving signs are asked to commit to keeping the signs in yards for as long as possible. Larger quantities are available upon request. 

To order the free signs simply contact the St. Cloud VA’s Suicide Prevention Team at 320-252-1670 ext. 6719 or fax an order form to 320-255-6389. Order forms are available at: https://www.va.gov/st-cloud-health-care/stories/

Orders received by Aug. 20 can be picked up from the VA Medical Center in St. Cloud and VA clinics in Alexandria, Brainerd, and Montevideo the week of Aug. 23-27. Here is the pick-up schedule:

-St. Cloud VA Medical Center, Bldg. 111, Aug. 24, 1 to 3 p.m.

-Max J. Beilke VA Clinic (in Alexandria), Aug. 25, 1 to 3 p.m.

-Brainerd VA Clinic, Aug. 26, 1 to 3 p.m.

-Montevideo VA Clinic, Aug. 27, 1 to 3 p.m.  

Orders placed after August 20 can use the same ordering information and make individual arrangements for a later pick-up.

The Veterans Crisis Line is a free, confidential resource available to any Veteran, even if they are not enrolled in VA health care or registered with VA. Care does not end when the conversation is over. The Veterans Crisis Line can connect Veterans to their local suicide prevention coordinators (SPC), who follow up to coordinate care. Veterans in crisis or anyone who is concerned about a Veteran can reach caring, qualified VA responders standing by to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1.

Since its launch in 2007, the Veterans Crisis Line has answered more than 5.4 million calls and initiated the dispatch of emergency services to callers in crisis more than 184,000 times. The Veterans Crisis Line anonymous online chat service, added in 2009, has engaged in more than 630,000 chats. In November 2011, the Veterans Crisis Line introduced a text-messaging service to provide another way for Veterans to connect with confidential, round-the-clock support and since then has responded to more than 204,000 texts.

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