you can find somebody. if you use a gun, there is a 90% chance that you will die by using the gun. we know our veterans are comfort with guns. one piece of what i have started to talk more about and i think we can talk about together is ensuring that gun safety is prominent. when you're looking and working with veterans. we are looking to keep them safe. on the veterans crisis line dot-net website, there are individualest that include our p.s.a.'s. these are all public. you can use them as much as you want to. the re on youtube -- administration page and also on this veterans crisis line dot-net website. we also recreptly developed a very powerful gun safety video

that is geared towards veterans and especially veterans who may be in crisis. it talks about safety of family members in the home and safety of others who if guns are not kept safe. so the veterans crisis line is -- has -- has anybody not heard of the veterans crisis line? it's a pretty well-known resource. we are getting about 1,200 calls a day from around the world. we have a staff of over 300 eople. can be help that received. we also have -- -- we have received a chat service, online chat, if you want to test that out or sitting with a veteran who you are concerned about who doesn't want to pick up the phone and call, you can show them there is a chat service

where it's a one to one chat with veterans or family members or friends or service members. i want to also make sure that you are aware that the veterans crisis line has also been double branded to be the military crisis line. because we want our service members or those in the guard and reserve, who aren't veterans or don't consider themselves to be veterans, we want them to feel comfortable to reach out and call in any way -- at any point. so these are the same folks who are answering the phones. they are very knowledgeable about veterans issues as well as military issues. we also have a texting service which is 838-255. we have a number of extraordinary texts that where we have been able to get help to people. where we have supported people. just through that little phone that we have -- that we all have. that's another thing if you're working with veterans who it's too much for them to pick up the phone, no problem. we want to reach veterans where they are at.

we want to reach them if it's just over the computer or if it's just over text. in the next section, another resource i wanted to make sure you are aware, this makes a connection. maketheconnection.net in your folder on the right side of the folder is a flyer that more fully explains what makes a connection does. we also have wallet card in there for you on make the connection. we also have wallet card for the veterans crisis line. if you want more of these -- you're kidding me. two minutes left? oh, my gosh. if you want more of these you can contact your local suicide prevent coordinator which you can find in the resource locator. no problem. if they have run out of supplies, contact me. the next -- biggest one that i think can be especially helpful for all of you is the community provider tool kit. this is a bullet point three. this is -- we have developed

this tool kit at v.a. for those nonv.a. clinicians in the community on the issues that may come up specifically about veterans. so for example we have a mini clinic on ptsd. we have a mini clinic on t.b.i. we have a mini clinic on suicide prevention with veterans where we give you the tools we use at v.a. and we translated them so you are aware of military culture and all of those sorts of things so that you can then engage with veterans in the same really want towe make sure this tool kit is disseminated for all of you. so if you can also pass that along, we want to make sure that you are aware of that. that's for you and that's for us and you to work together. i think i'm probably out of time, but, boy, i look forward to questions. my email address, please email .thompson@va.gov.

rogram, first name, last name@ va.gov. i look forward to continuing to be in tufment thank you so much for having me here today. really wonderful collaboration. thank you. [applause] >> she's breathing again. dianne, would you continue our program, please. >> i'm going to sit because i'm training for a marathon and my feet are killing me. so i'm not going to go up to speak there. i, too, am honored on behalf of the red cross to be included in this panel. we are excited because we have some services and programs that we'd like to share. you don't generally think of the red cross being able to provide services to the veterans, but we

have been doing this since world war i. it's consistent with our mission and congressional charter to maintain its commitment to the men and women who serve the u.s. armed forces. dr. turner alluded to a lot of challenges with veterans. veterans today unlike other wars are older. they are married and with children. they have experienced multiple deployments, they are debter educated than their count -- better educated than their counterparts, they struggled finding employment that can easily transfer to their job skills. according to the u.s. bureau of labor statistics, since 9/11 vets' unemployment rate is 9.4%% -- 11.5% compared to for nonveterans. many enter the civilian communities with large financial debts. straining meryl tal relationships, and the home -- marital relationships, and the homeless vets is at the highest

level, 12% of the homeless population. the stigma in seeking general health services and general distress of the v.a. system has prevented veterans from getting treatment. even though many have been diagnosed with mental health disorders. according to research more than 18% of veterans who serve in iraq and afghanistan have mental health problems. veterans, especially older ones, have difficult understanding services because of the system available to them. finally, 90% of battlefield njuries are survival, but -- survicheable, but has left a v.a. system overtaxed and overburdened. -- servicible, but has left a v.a. system overtaxed and overburdened. with unemployment at its highest, financial challenges,

veteran homelessness, marital discord, threatening social support, and mental health problems left untreated and undetected, the v.a. is looking towards third party social service agencies like the red cross to play a critical role in receiving services. so the red cross services to the armed forces provides services at every stage of a service members' military life before, during, and after. at the services after military, it consists of providing veterans with veterans claims for benefits as a v.s.l. as well as claimants who seek to appeal to the board of veterans appeals. that's mostly through the homeless outreach projects. we have volunteerism in the v.a. hospitals. referral to community resources, and reintegration skill building sources in the form of workshop

s. we use peer to peer support who have been trained. red cross provides assistance and case collaboration, preparing, developing, and obtaining evidence in support of applicants' claims for veterans benefits. red cross reaches out to veterans who are not engaged with the v.a. who are homeless or in the community and establishes a trust relationship. they educate veterans regarding what entitlements are available to them like compensation for disabilities, all the benefits you can think of. they work with veterans in obtaining their records and provide advocacy during the process. they offer assistance and other resources and provide referals accordingly to the community. - referals to the community. they might look to other resources for assist -- assistance like s.s.d.i. and

s.s.i. there are two programs in the nation i'd like to highlight today. one in southern arizona that serves the tucson region and another in west virginia serving the charleston region. so the southern arizona, it's also better known as operation desert home. it's a homeless initiative. it's a pilot project. it received two grants by the department of veterans affairs. one to prevent veterans at risk for being homeless, and another to rehouse veterans currently homeless. it's also known as rapid rehousing. i'm not sure if any of you have heard of that before. last year they served 237 veterans. 107 in the homeless prevention and 130 in the rapid rehousing. they use a peer model, volunteers veterans, and spouses assist other veterans with outreach services to veterans providing tempar