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Local veterans urged to seek help as county leaders outline resources during suicide prevention month
Summary
County and behavioral-health leaders described suicide risk factors for veterans and listed local services — including the county Veterans Affairs office, a South Scranton Vet Center, Valhalla Veteran Services, Camp Freedom and the 988 hotline — and urged anyone in crisis to reach out.
A sponsored broadcast segment during September— National Suicide Prevention Month featured Tim Booth, director of Veterans Affairs for Lackawanna County, and Mickie Dretchell, administrator of the Lackawanna Susquehanna Behavioral Health Intellectual Disability and Early Intervention program, who urged veterans and family members to seek help and described local support options.
The program noted that “suicide is the twelfth leading cause of death for veterans, the second for those 45,” and that, in Pennsylvania, “231 veterans died by suicide” in 2022. Booth and Dretchell discussed causes that elevate suicide risk among veterans and the local services available to respond.
Why it matters: veterans are at…
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