Talking Veterans Down From Despair

[Bozita]

Source: NY Times

April 22, 2008

Talking Veterans Down From Despair

By PATRICIA COHEN

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. — Nancy Nosewicz was busy fielding calls at the new national veterans hot line on a recent afternoon when someone from the Department of Veterans Affairs in Topeka, Kan., phoned. He had a 55-year-old Army veteran from the Northwest on the line who had called to complain about his benefits, but now the guy, drunk and crying, was talking about not wanting to live. Could Ms. Nosewicz pick up?

In a slurred voice, heavy from weeping, the veteran, named Robert, told her that he was homeless and wanted to “just lay down in the river and never get up.”

Ms. Nosewicz, a social worker, listened. Then in a voice firm and comforting like a big sister, she said: “We don’t want you to either. Today we’re not thinking about the alcohol or the housing, Robert. Today it’s about keeping you safe.”

She gave an assistant Robert’s phone number to find his address and alert local police to stand by. The chain of care resembled a relay race, with one runner trying not let go of the baton until the next runner had it in hand.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/22/us/22suicide.html?_r=1&hp=&oref=slogin&pagewanted=all

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An MP3 is available at the link. Left side.

Link to story of the San Francisco trial over shoddy treatment of veterans:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3277801

Link to story: " VA hiding suicide risk, Internal emails show"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3277810

Please view them together.