New study highlights how Billings nonprofit is strengthening veteran suicide prevention efforts

BILLINGS, Mont. — For veterans struggling with their mental health, having someone recognize when something is wrong can be an important first step toward getting support. At the Adaptive Performance Center (APC) , a Montana nonprofit with locations in Billings and Helena, a new case study is showing promising early results from training designed to help employees recognize signs of emotional distress, start difficult conversations and connect veterans with additional resources before a situation becomes a crisis. The center partnered with the national nonprofit Give an Hour earlier this year to participate in its Veteran MILE training , an initiative focused on building mental health awareness and peer-support skills. The newly released case study, APC Vets Case Study: From Individual Skills to Organizational Capacity , looks at how that training is being put into practice and what it could mean for the veterans APC serves. For Jaclyn Colebank, a veteran who first came to APC seeking support for her own mental health, the training has given her new tools to connect with others. “It gave me other skills and other tools to really learn how to listen and connect with other people,” Colebank said. Now working as both a trainer