June 1, 2020 1 – 3 pm (PDT)

Learn more and register here. 

Presented by Forefront in partnership with Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs

Veterans face enormous challenges as they transition from military to civilian life. Family members of veterans also face unique challenges in supporting their loved ones who served. COVID-19 presents new anxieties that may compound these factors. We are providing this webinar to support our Veterans and those who love them, live with them, work with them, or support them in any way, by offering perspective on the unique challenges they face, and teaching how to recognize signs of distress and what to do to provide support.

Forefront Suicide Prevention Center’s LEARN® Saves Lives for Veterans webinar teaches essential skills for suicide prevention, specifically tailored to those who have served, their family members and friends, and those who work with veterans or support them in any way. We are partnering with the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs to bring this program to you in the comfort of your home for free. If you love a veteran or are a veteran, join us to learn:

• About the unique challenges Veterans face as they transition from the military to civilian life
• How to make your home safer to prevent the risk of suicide
• How to ask a veteran about suicide in a safe way – whether they are friend, family member, colleague or client
• How to recognize the signs of a mental health crisis and practical steps to address it

 

About the Presenters

Brett Bass manages Forefront’s Safer Homes, Suicide Aware program. He joined Forefront in 2018 after serving on the Safer Homes Task Force as one of the firearms industry representatives. Brett served as a military policeman in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve from 2006-2019 with deployments to Latvia, Kuwait, and Afghanistan in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn, and Enduring Freedom. Brett is a firearms instructor for Bellevue Gun Club and has worked in firearm retail, range safety and management. He holds certifications as a range safety officer, chief range safety officer, pistol instructor, rifle instructor, and basic first aid instructor.

Peter G. Schmidt, Psy. D., LMHC is Director of Counseling and Wellness Programs for the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA). Peter is a veteran of the USAF and Washington National Guard Peter and is proud to serve those who served and their family members. He is the co-founder of the Veterans Training Support Center developing trainings on numerous veteran-related topics. He has counseled veterans and family members as a behavioral health subcontractor for the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs in Grays Harbor and Snohomish Counties, and worked with vets during his psychology residency at McNeil Island Corrections Center. Peter is also familiar with higher education as a twice-tenured counselor, psychology faculty, director of counseling, dean and executive director.