Minnesota National Guard emphasizes resilience, suicide prevention
Since the establishment of the Joint Prevention and Support Services Directorate nearly three years ago, the Minnesota National Guard continues to emphasize people as the force’s greatest strength and most valuable resource required to complete missions. The Resilience, Risk Reduction, and Suicide Prevention, or R3SP, program provides Guard members with critical resources that put an emphasis on the overall fitness and readiness of Minnesota National Guard members.
Over the last two years, the focus of the team has shifted to more targeted training directly with units. While all units are required to conduct the annual sudicide prevention training, the R3SP team saw a need to work with units on issues specific to them.
“By conducting a targeted brief, we can meet the unit where they are at,” said Adrianna McKay, the suicide prevention coordinator of the Minnesota National Guard.
Some of the issues specific to units are positive coping skills, ways to build resiliency, stress reduction techniques, basic budgeting, work life balance, and unit cohesion. McKay believes all the factors that can lead to a mental health crisis must be addressed to reduce the risk of suicide.
Ensuring Guard members have the skills needed to face life stressors is important too. The suicide prevention team works tirelessly on ensuring Soldiers and Airmen have resiliency skills to overcome any challenge they might face. Positive coping strategies and ways to reduce stress to lower the overall risk of suicide, according to McKay.
“Reducing the risk also includes substance abuse prevention training, as many people use alcohol or drugs to reduce their anxiety or stress,” said McKay. “Our programs work together to research new methods and identify the trends that we are seeing in our force.”
The R3SP teams collaborate by creating beneficial training and locating resources that are needed throughout the state. Their targeted briefs encompass resiliency, substance misuse and mental health. Team members cross train in all three programs, which provides cohesion.
McKay says the most important thing for Soldiers and Airmen to know is that they are not alone.
“Many people are facing challenges and stress these days, and we are here to help in any way we can. Reach out for help before a minor problem becomes a crisis,” said McKay. “Simply asking us opens many options.”
Story by Bob Brown
Minnesota National Guard
###
About the Minnesota National Guard: Established in 1856 and headquartered in St. Paul, the Minnesota National Guard has more than 13,000 Soldiers and Airmen who serve in 58 communities across the state. The Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen of the Minnesota National Guard are ‘Always Ready’ to fight the nation’s wars, protect the country, respond to state emergencies, and contribute to local communities. For more information about the Minnesota National Guard, visit https://MinnesotaNationalGuard.ng.mil.
