VA, Tech Company Partnership Aims to Prevent Suicide

A partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs and four technology companies — CaringBridge, IBM, Objective Zero Foundation and RallyPoint — aims to promote social connectedness and prevent veteran suicide. The partnerships help the VA with its national suicide prevention strategy, which includes an effort to use "technology to help service members and veterans get the care they need whenever and wherever they need it," according to a release. CaringBridge is a nonprofit that allows users to build their own websites and fundraisers with a focus on health; IBM is working with the VA to develop a new suicide prevention app called GRIT; Objective Zero Foundation is a nonprofit with a mobile app that gives better access to mental health resources; and RallyPoint is a military and veteran-only social networking site. Learn more about the VA's suicide prevention resources, and visit Military.com for more suicide prevention guides and resources.