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ROUTINE

R 071537Z OCT 11 PSN 904963H31

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TO NAVADMIN
ZEN//OU=DOD/OU=NAVY/OU=ADDRESS LISTS(UC)/CN=AL NAVADMIN(UC)

INFO ZEN/CNO WASHINGTON DC

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SUBJ: SUICIDE UPDATE
UNCLASSIFIED/
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FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
TO NAVADMIN
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
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NAVADMIN 299/11

MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/OCT//

SUBJ/SUICIDE UPDATE//

REF/A/DOC/OPNAV/04AUG09//

REF/B/DOC/OPNAV/22DEC09//

REF/C/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/231556ZAPR09//

NARR/REF A IS OPNAVINST 1720.4A, WHICH ESTABLISHES THE NAVY SUICIDE PREVENTION 
PROGRAM AND DIRECTS COLLECTION OF DATA ON NAVY SUICIDES.
REF B IS OPNAVINST F3100.6J.  REF C, NAVADMIN 122/09, DIRECT THE REPORTING OF 
SUICIDES AND SUICIDE-RELATED BEHAVIORS VIA THE OPREP-3 REPORTING SYSTEM.//

RMKS/1.  IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 2011, WE HAVE LOST 43 SAILORS TO SUICIDE.  
I WANT TO EXTEND MY SYMPATHY TO THOSE OF YOU PERSONALLY GRIEVING THE LOSS OF A 
FRIEND OR SHIPMATE.  ON A POSITIVE NOTE, SO FAR THIS YEAR, MORE THAN 1,400 
SAILORS AT SOME LEVEL OF PERSONAL CRISIS WERE REACHED BY A SHIPMATE, FAMILY 
MEMBER, OR LEADER WHO REMEMBERED TO "ACT":  A-ASK THE QUESTION, C-CARE, AND 
HELP THE PERSON FIND T-TREATMENT.  I WANT TO THANK EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR 
COURAGE IN SEEKING HELP OR RECOGNIZING A NEED IN OTHERS AND REACHING OUT TO 
HELP SAVE A LIFE.

2.  WE HAVE A DUTY TO SEEK, SUPPORT, AND REACH OUT TO ONE ANOTHER TO LIVE LIFE 
FULLY.  I ASK THAT YOU TAKE TIME TO STRENGTHEN YOUR CAPACITY TO REACH OUT IN 
THE FOLLOWING WAYS:
       A.  FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE NATIONAL LIFELINE.  THE LIFELINE 
BANNER AND LINK TO CONFIDENTIAL CHAT CAN BE FOUND ON EVERY NAVY WEBSITE.  ADD 
THE 1-800-273 TALK (8255) NUMBER TO YOUR CELL PHONE.
       B.  TEST YOUR SAFETY PLAN.  CONDUCT A COMMAND DRILL TO TEST THE COMMAND 
CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN OR REVIEW HOW YOU WOULD "ACT"
(ASK-CARE-TREAT) TO HELP A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE.
       C.  PLAN SUPPORT DURING PERSONAL TRANSITIONS.  MOVES, LIFE TRANSITIONS, 
RETURNING FROM DEPLOYMENT, CHANGING JOBS, AND LEAVING THE NAVY CAN BE TIMES OF 
ADDED STRESS WHEN PEOPLE WHO KNOW AND SUPPORT US MAY NOT BE AS AVAILABLE AS 
USUAL.  PLAN AHEAD TO MINIMIZE AVOIDABLE STRESS AND MAKE AN EXTRA EFFORT TO 
STAY IN CONTACT WITH FAMILIAR RESOURCES OR CONNECT WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
       D.  SCREEN FOR DEPRESSION.  DEPRESSION IS A VERY COMMON HEALTH 
CONDITION THAT CAN GO UNRECOGNIZED AND UNTREATED AS THE SYMPTOMS,  SUCH AS 
SADNESS, LOSS OF INTEREST, FEELINGS OF GUILT, DIFFICULTY CONCENTRATING, 
CHANGES IN APPETITE, CHANGES IN SLEEP AND LACK OF ENERGY, START TO INTERFERE 
WITH WORK, RELATIONSHIPS AND QUALITY OF LIFE.  AN ANONYMOUS SCREENING TOOL AT 
WWW.MENTALHEALTHSCREENING.ORG CAN HELP YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES DECIDE IF, AND 
WHEN, IT'S TIME TO SEEK ASSISTANCE FOR DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS.
       E. ENCOURAGE ENGAGEMENT, EDUCATIONAL PLANNING, PRODUCTION, AND DELIVERY 
THROUGH PEER-TO-PEER MENTORING GROUPS SUCH AS COALITION OF SAILORS AGAINST 
DESTRUCTIVE DECISIONS (CSADD), THE CPO MESS, FCPO  MESS AND WARDROOM.  OFF 
DUTY INDICATORS MAY BE MORE READILY IDENTIFIED BY THOSE WITH WHOM SAILORS ARE 
ON LIBERTY.  CSADD CHAPTERS HAVE  DEVELOPED SEVERAL VIDEOS THAT MAY BE USEFUL 
IN YOUR EDUCATION EFFORTS.  ALL MAY BE FOUND ON THE CSADD FACEBOOK PAGE (USE 
LOWER CASE IN THE URL  ADDRESS), WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/PAGES/COALITION-OF-SAILORS-
AGAINST-DESTRUCTIVE-DECISIONS-CSADD/299642495316.

3.  YOUR LIFE IS WORTH LIVING.  LIVE IT.  FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO 
WWW.SUICIDE.NAVY.MIL AND WWW.NAVYNAVSTRESS.COM.  NAVY POINT OF  CONTACT IS 
LCDR BONNIE CHAVEZ, OPNAV (N135F), AT (901) 874-6613/DSN 882, OR  VIA E-MAIL 
AT BONNIE.CHAVEZ(AT)NAVY.MIL.

4.  RELEASED BY MS. STEFFANIE B. EASTER, N1 (ACTING).//

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