Post hosts suicide prevention training

By Mr. Robert Timmons (IMCOM)September 28, 2017

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1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Aljournal "Ajay" Franklin, Fort Jackson's Suicide Prevention Coordinator
speaks briefly to the audience at suicide prevention training before introducing Dr. Keita Franklin, head of the Department of Defense's Suicide Prevention program at the Solomo... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
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2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Dr. Keita Franklin, director of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office,
speaks to attendees about ways to help those who may be contemplating taking their own lives during training at the Solomon Center Tuesday. Franklin and Chamique Holdsclaw, former... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
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3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

It's no secret suicide is a problem in the Army and it affects the entire force -- surveys indicate that for every person who dies by suicide 135 people are impacted. In 2016, 127 active duty Soldiers took their lives.

On Monday, Fort Jackson hosted suicide prevention training where the military's top suicide expert and a former WNBA basketball star spoke about how the problem can be addressed.

Dr. Keita Franklin, director of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office, and Chamique Holdsclaw, former WNBA star, and collegiate basketball player at the University of Tennessee, spoke during two training sessions about how to help those who may be contemplating taking their own life.

Aljournal "Ajay" Franklin, Fort Jackson's Suicide Prevention Coordinator and no relation to Dr. Franklin, said "all of us need to get involved with trying to care for one another" when he introduced her to speak.

We have to "be there for family, be there for your friends, and be there for you co-workers," he added.

Dr. Franklin said it is imperative to look out for each other as well because "supporting each other really matters … when people can reach out to people you save lives."

In a status of forces survey sent out across the Department of Defense, respondents were asked where they would turn to for help. "The first place that people go are their family and their friends. It's not rocket science," she said.

Dr. Franklin, a licensed social worker with specialization in children and families, added that asking questions won't hurt or cause suicide. She is responsible for policy and oversight for the department's suicide prevention programs. She has led the Marine Corps' Behavioral Health Branch where she directed policy, future planning and integration of behavioral health programs.

"Talking about suicide doesn't cause suicide," she said.

While Dr. Franklin leads prevention efforts, Holdsclaw, who has fought depression for many years and wrote a book about her struggles, knows what it is like to attempt taking her own life.

Holdsclaw was a cornerstone of the Tennessee Volunteers three championship basketball seasons, WNBA rookie of the year, WNBA scoring champion, three time all-star, and two time WNBA rebounding champion. But, she came from a family rife with addiction and was plagued by depression throughout her career. It culminated in a night where she took too much medication and she woke up "in an all- white room" at a hospital.

"I remember saying, 'How did I get here?'" she emphasized. "The doctor walks in and he says, 'Ms. Holdsclaw, I don't know much about basketball, but I know who you are … you could have had seizures, but you are healthy and fine.'" At that moment she decided to use her name and platform to "help others."

She would go on to do public service announcements and talk about mental health issues.

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