About

The Show

We know the statistics about suicide – they are alarming. Simply raising awareness of a problem without pairing it with meaningful action promotes a sense of helplessness and hopelessness. This podcast is designed to move us beyond awareness and into meaningful action. Whether it’s social media posts, community conversations, or awareness demonstrations, it seems as though we are inundated with information on how to stop suicide in the military affiliated population.

And yet, numbers of service members, veterans, and their family members are taking their own lives every day. Whether it’s 20 a day, 22 a day, or more; whether they are connected to the Department of Veterans Affairs or not; whether high profile or go unnoticed, one death by suicide in the military affiliated population is too many.

At the same time, a significant amount of research on to how to stop suicide in the military population is being conducted. Professionals across the country are helping those in the military affiliated population hold on to hope and navigate the challenges in their lives. Methods of prevention, intervention, and postvention are being developed and show promising results.

The Seeking the Military Suicide Solution Podcast will move beyond awareness to action by sharing what works, what doesn’t, and what gaps remain.

Your Hosts

Duane K. L. France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor practicing in Colorado Springs Colorado. He is the Director of Veteran Services for the Family Care Center, a private outpatient mental health clinic specializing in serving the military population.

Shauna Springer, Ph.D., is a nationally recognized expert in suicide in the miltiary affiliated population. Known to many veterans as “doc Springer,” she has helped hundreds of warriors reconnect with their tribe, strengthen their most important relationships, and build lives that are driven by their deepest values. She has particular expertise in attachment processes, trauma recovery, innovative suicide prevention approaches, relationship counseling, peer support program development, and Veteran’s issues, including post-discharge adjustment and strategies for engaging Veterans in behavioral health care. Dr. Springer is a licensed Psychologist with an undergraduate degree from Harvard University and a Doctoral degree from the University of Florida.