NEWS

Oneida County's veterans qualify for support services under new suicide prevention plan

Edward Harris
Observer-Dispatch

Oneida County has launched a veteran suicide prevention program. 

The program, announced late last week, includes a partnership with the Neighborhood Center and Utica Center for Development, according to a statement from Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. 

“Our veterans give everything they have to protect this great nation and its citizens,” Picente said in a statement. “It is our responsibility to make sure they are taken care of in return. Oneida County is pleased to partner with The Neighborhood Center and the Utica Center for Development to provide our veterans with this suicide prevention program and ensure that they all receive the help they need.” 

Pictured in front, from left, Sandra Soroka, executive director of the Neighborhood Center; Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. and Vincent Scalise, executive director of Utica Center for Development are flanked by veterans at a press conference at the Utica Center for Development in Utica on June 1, 2023 to launch the county’s Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program.

Who qualifies for the veteran suicide prevention program

The Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP) is a community-based outreach and suicide prevention program funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that is designed to reduce suicide risk and improve well-being for eligible veterans and their families, according to the statement.  

In New York, the veteran suicide rate is lower than the national rate, but remains significantly higher than the general population suicide rate.

Oneida County was awarded the SSG Fox SPGP grant from Veterans Affairs in September 2022, totaling $2.25 million.  

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The funding is issued for three years at $750,000 per year after being awarded a grant renewal. Oneida County secured the first $750,000 and has already applied for a second year of grant funding.  

Congress has authorized $174 million to be appropriated for the SSG Fox SPGP across the country, according to officials. 

More than 240 agencies across the country applied for the grant and Oneida County was one of only 80 chosen. 

The program honors Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox, who joined the U.S. Army in 2014 and was a sniper instructor at the infantry school at Ft. Benning, Ga. SSG Fox, who was known for a life of generosity and kindness to others in need, died by suicide on July 21, 2020, at the age of 25. 

The Oneida County SSG Fox SPGP services include: 

  • Outreach to identify those at risk of suicide 
  • Peer support 
  • Case management 
  • Education on suicide risk and prevention to families and communities 
  • VA benefits assistance 
  • Clinical services for emergency treatment 
  • Assistance with obtaining and coordinating other benefits provided by the federal government, a state or local government or an eligible entity 
  • Assistance with emergent needs relating to healthcare services, daily living services, personal financial planning and counseling, transportation services, temporary income support services, fiduciary and representative payee services, legal services to assist the eligible individual with issues that may contribute to the risk of suicide and childcare 
  • Other services necessary for improving the mental health status and well-being and reducing the suicide risk of eligible individuals and their families as VA determines appropriate 

Those eligible for SSG Fox SPGP include residents of Oneida County who are at risk of suicide.

To enroll in the program, and for questions about the program, visit https://ocgov.net/departments/mental-health/ssgfox/ or call 315-601-4662  

“I am incredibly proud of everyone working so diligently to ensure this program's success,” said Ashlee Thompson, Oneida County commissioner of Mental Health, in a statement. 

“It is a much-needed resource that will help numerous people in our area. We are very grateful that we will be able to provide an array of suicide prevention resources to those who have served and are currently serving, as well as their family members." 

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact the Veterans Crisis Line to receive free, confidential support and crisis intervention available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Dial 988 then Press 1, chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or text 838255.