At HOPE, suicide prevention isn’t just a priority, it’s a mission woven into everything we do. Every day of the year, we stand alongside service members, veterans, and families with a holistic well-being approach that reduces risk factors and strengthens protective ones. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death across all ages, yet it is also preventable. With the right support, resources, and community, lives can be saved. Suicide affects far more than the individual, it ripples through families, friends, and entire communities. That’s why we are committed to being a source of strength and connection. Because resources are available. Because healing is possible. Because there is always HOPE.
Suicide is rarely the result of a single cause. That’s why protective factors play such a vital role in creating a buffer between a thought and an action. When someone feels hopeless or overwhelmed by change, leaning on support systems can make the difference between despair and resilience. Protective factors can take many forms – social connections, financial stability, a sense of purpose, belonging within a community, physical and emotional well-being, and a plan to reach out for help in moments of crisis. Together, these safeguards empower individuals to weather challenges and remind them they are never alone.
Suicide Prevention through Community
Picture the last time you were faced with a new project or obstacle…one that was long drawn, required unique skills, and every decision that was made, would practically be lifechanging. Imagine tackling that sensitive matter alone.
How did you feel? Overwhelmed? Hopeless?
Take a deep breath.
Now imagine tackling that same matter but instead of going at it alone, you’re supported by others who have experience with overcoming similar matters. Invite that to sink in…you are not alone and there are people ready to help you thrive. This type of support is called peer support.
Evidence-based and widely favored, peer support plays a critical role in promoting mental health and resilience among individuals and communities, to include military servicemembers, veterans, and military families. So much so, that in 2006, the Veteran Health Administration began integrating peer support specialists as part of the interdisciplinary primary care team, in every VA medical center (VA News 2015). Service members, and their families often face unique challenges—including combat/noncombat stress, physical, mental, and emotional trauma, reintegration issues, and moral injury—that are best understood by those who have journeyed a similar path. According to Beehler et al. (2021), “A review of literature by Bellamy et al. (2017) on peer services found that they produce similar clinical outcomes (e.g., decreased hospitalization rates, decreased symptom severity) to non‐peers and greater impact on recovery‐oriented outcomes (e.g., hope, quality of life, empowerment).”
Peer Support in Action: SFC Gabi Cha’s Healing Journey
Sometimes the power of peer support is best understood through lived experience.
SFC Gabi Cha, a U.S. Army combat medic, faced a life-altering injury after an IED explosion during her service. Following her medical retirement, she struggled with the loss of team, identity, and purpose. Like many veterans, she found herself isolated—physically healing but emotionally searching for connection.
That’s when she connected with Hope For The Warriors and formed a life-changing peer relationship with Military Relations Director, Lee Bonar.
”“When I was really hitting a dark time, just being able to talk about personal things and just having that trust and bond relationship with him definitely made me open up and realize like, ‘Hey, I’m not alone.’”
– Gabi Cha
What began as support in a moment of darkness evolved into a lasting friendship built on trust, shared experiences, and openness. Together, they weathered highs and lows, showing the true strength of peer connection.
Gabi’s healing journey also flourished through Team HOPE, where she rediscovered camaraderie, competed in the Warrior and Invictus Games, and regained a sense of belonging. Surrounded by people who genuinely cared, she felt once again part of a community where, in her own words, “no man gets left behind.”
Now, Gabi carries the mission forward:
”“I hope that…how someone had impacted me during my life at a dark point…I just really want to be able to do the same thing. Because it is dark. And as long as you have hope, as long as you have a spark, that’s what gets it going.”
Her story reminds us that peer support is not only about overcoming struggles—it’s about creating pathways of hope and resilience for others.
Inspired by Gabi’s journey of resilience and hope? You can be the spark for someone else. Take the HOPE Suicide Prevention Pledge today and commit to supporting your community, your family, and yourself. Together, we can prevent suicide and bring hope to those who need it most.
👉 Download the HOPE Suicide Prevention Pledge
🎙️ Empowering Conversations on Suicide Awareness
At Hope For The Warriors, we know the power of conversation. That’s why we dedicated an episode of the Hope For The Warriors podcast to suicide awareness and prevention. In this episode, our team and special guests discuss the realities of suicide, the importance of peer support, and the protective factors that can make a life-saving difference.
By sharing real experiences and professional insight, the podcast helps break down stigma and opens the door to hope, connection, and healing. Whether you’re a veteran, military family member, caregiver, or ally, these conversations are a reminder that none of us are alone.
👉 Listen to the Hope For The Warriors Podcast on Suicide Awareness here
When Connection Becomes Community
Through structured, safe, and welcoming peer support programs, these individuals connect with trained peers who provide emotional support, guidance, and camaraderie. This support can look as simple as grabbing a cup of coffee with a veteran peer one-on-one or joining a small group of military spouses for lunch. Now doesn’t that sound rejuvenating! Research shows that building and maintaining these relationships can reduce social isolation, increase sense of belonging and engagement with professional services, as well as serve as positive models of hope and healing from difficulties faced. Additionally, peer support fosters community and a sense of purpose, as it empowers service members, veterans, and their families to help others while managing their own healing. It encourages a culture of openness and reduces stigma around mental health struggles – redefining “toughness” as taking care of all aspects of our health and each other.
At Hope For The Warriors, our very own Military Veteran Peer Support Program (MVPS) like Lee provide genuine and life-enhancing connections with military veterans. According to HOPE’s MVPS 2024 experience surveys, 90-96% of the veterans surveyed, reported “very much” when asked about their comfortability with discussing sensitive topics, reaching out, as well as feeling less isolated throughout and post-engagement with HOPE’s peer support services.
In 2023, HOPE brought together a panel of veterans to speak about suicide prevention and awareness. Click the image to see the full video.
Unique from traditional mental health services, peer support relies on shared experiences, fostering familiarity and trust that can be difficult to achieve through exclusive clinical relationships. Nevertheless, mental health practices serve many benefits. Together, once we understand the valuable connection between peer support and mental health, our quality of life certainly has greater opportunity for sustainable improvement.
Suicide Prevention and Peer Support
Suicide is a topic that has a lot of stigma surrounding it. This stigma can create a sense of secrecy and prevent people from seeking help. Stigma, at its core, comes from negative beliefs which are usually due to misunderstandings or lack of knowledge. When a person is experiencing suicidal thoughts, they can feel fearful, alone, and misunderstood. Individuals may think if they share these thoughts, nobody will understand or that their thoughts will end up creating further harm, such as alienation or even loss of freedoms. These feelings can create risk factors for a person putting them at a greater risk for suicide.
Research surrounding suicide prevention focuses on identifying protective factors, which ultimately can reduce the risk of suicide in an individual. Social support and a sense of belonging, and connectedness have proven to be incredibly impactful in the realm of suicide prevention. When thinking of peer support, it can be provided in a continuum. Peer support can range from someone becoming a trained Gatekeeper (any individual trained to screen for suicide risk and offer resources for help) to a person from the same population with lived experience sharing their story of recovery. Further, the word “peer” by its definition can be applied in professional settings and informal settings. Seeking to support one another through peer support can occur in an office building amongst colleagues as easily as it can be applied within a group of individuals sharing a common interest such as a love of sports or even shared roles, like being a parent or caregiver.
Considering the elements mentioned above, it can be intimidating to share thoughts of suicide with a stranger or a mental health professional for fear of judgment or perceived harsh consequences, such as being hospitalized. However, having access to a community of peers can create feelings of support from someone who understands the thoughts and stresses unique to the shared experiences or roles. In a professional setting, a high-pressure career can create feelings of burn-out and struggle with work-life balance and even feelings of isolation. Connecting with a peer in the same environment or profession fosters a sense of understanding and this can allow for shared experiences and problem solving. Another example could be finding support amongst other parents and the unique challenges of parenting children in certain communities and age groups. Peer support and community can provide validation when faced with difficulties and understanding that a person’s challenges are often not isolated occurrences but shared by many. Not only can these interactions reduce stigma, but these connections also provide real life experiences from another individual to provide a greater sense of hope. Social connectedness creates a sense of purpose and accountability along with shared strength.
”“Connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued…”
– Brené Brown.
Suicide prevention begins with each of us. By taking the HOPE Suicide Prevention Pledge, you stand for connection, compassion, and action. Print it, share it, and keep it as a reminder that hope is always possible—and no one must face life’s struggles alone.
👉 Download the HOPE Suicide Prevention Pledge
Where to look for help
If you are concerned about yourself or someone in your life, you can get tools online to help facilitate your conversation with a friend or professional.
Visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention online at: https://afsp.org/get-help/
Visit or call the Veterans Crisis Line, or call 988 and press 1. You can also text 838255
If you are a post-9/11 veteran looking for support with financial, physical, or emotional wellness, social support, community connection, or training and education, Hope For The Warriors is here to help.
Resources used in this blog:
