Saving Lives on the Road: Rally4Vets Spreads Columbia Protocol Across America

El Segundo, CA - The Disabled Veteran Empowerment Network (DVEN) has partnered with the Columbia Lighthouse Project to help reduce the annual veteran suicide rate. The DVEN Rally4Vets team will present the Columbia Suicide Prevention Protocol to American Legion posts during the August 2024 Be The One road rally from Newport, Oregon, to Boston, Massachusetts, along US National Route 20, America’s National Medal of Honor highway.

The Columbia Lighthouse Project was formed under the auspices of Columbia University to disseminate the Columbia Protocol — also known as the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS).

The Project’s innovative work has been nothing short of groundbreaking in its lifesaving capacity and has contributed to reductions in suicide across all sectors of society. The White House highlighted the Columbia Protocol as helping to achieve the President’s mental health and suicide prevention initiatives. It is building bridges where suicide prevention historically stumbled, where so many lives have been lost. The Columbia Protocol is easy to use and empowers everyone to ask the right questions and save lives.

The White House has highlighted the Columbia tool as central to the nation’s mental health and suicide prevention strategy. States and nations are customizing the Columbia screening app to fit local needs, and the Protocol has been integrated into policies across all 50 states, national agencies, and most countries.

“Hand in hand with DVEN and Rally4Vets, we're shining a light on the critical mission of suicide prevention, standing together to ensure no veteran struggles alone," said Dr. Kelly Posner, Founder and Director of the Columbia Lighthouse Project

The Columbia Protocol is made to be used by anyone, not just mental health professionals. It provides six simple questions that help identify individuals who are most at risk for dying by suicide and how to direct them to the resources they need.

Protocol users simply ask these questions: Whether and when they have thought about suicide (ideation); What actions they have taken — and when — to prepare for suicide; Whether and when they attempted suicide or began a suicide attempt that was either interrupted by another person or stopped of their own volition.

DVEN Founder and CEO Robert Hess learned about the protocol during a Suicide Prevention and Columbia Protocol Training by the American Legion, Be The One Foundation. According to Hess, “I’ve interacted with a number of veterans dealing with emotional distress, but I struggled with what questions to ask and how to present them. The Columbia Protocol App is now on my phone and I’ll never be at a loss again. I’ll be on the road for three weeks this summer, beginning August 4th, with our Rally4Vets team and I look forward to educating American Legion post members on this simple and effective tool.”

Rally4Vets is the motorsports veteran outreach program of DVEN. The August 2024 Be The One road rally across the US supports the American Legion “Be The One” suicide prevention campaign. “I’m proud to be an American Legion Life Member and a combat veteran. It’s an honor to be able to interact with so many veterans and steer those in distress to the support systems that can help them,” said Hess.

People wanting to support or participate in the 2024 Rally4Vets Be The One event can find details and contact information at https://www.rally4vets.com/rally4vetsbetheonedrive

The Columbia Protocol App is available for iPhone and Android at https://bit.ly/ColumbiaLightHouseProtocolApp

ABOUT DVEN

The Disabled Veteran Empowerment Network (DVEN) has a Two-fold mission: 1) - To connect disabled veterans, their caregivers, and supporters with benefits provided by the Veterans Administration and other veteran charities and, 2) - To play a meaningful role in reducing the suicide toll of America’s veterans. https://dven.org.

ABOUT Rally4Vets

Rally4Vets is DVEN’s motorsports community outreach program, connecting the motorsports, celebrity, and veteran communities. https://rally4vets.com.