# Face the Fight

> Face the Fight inspires urgent, united action through proven solutions to dramatically reduce veteran suicide. The organization envisions a future where every veteran and those who stand beside them are celebrated for their strength, backed in tough times, and never left to fight alone.

Face the Fight is a national movement uniting nonprofits, foundations, corporations, and government liaisons to combat veteran suicide. Through evidence-informed strategies, cross-sector collaboration, and community engagement, Face the Fight has impacted over 620,000 lives, trained 30,000+ people in suicide prevention interventions, distributed $42M+ in grants across 83 suicide prevention projects, and grown to 250+ coalition members.

## Crisis Resources

If you or someone you know is struggling:
- **Suicide and Crisis Hotline:** Call 988, press 1 for veteran support
- **Veterans Crisis Line:** veteranscrisisline.net
- **Crisis Text Line:** Text SERVE or SERVICIO to 741741 (free, 24/7, confidential in English and Spanish)
- **Connect to Care (Check-In):** veterancheckin.org — connects veterans, service members, families, caregivers, and survivors to no-cost mental and brain health care through the Veteran Wellness Alliance

## Mission & Values

**Mission:** To inspire urgent, united action through proven solutions to dramatically reduce veteran suicide.

**Vision:** A future where every veteran and those who stand beside them are celebrated for their strength, backed in tough times, and never left to fight alone.

**Values:**
- **Collaboration:** Leading with partnership and purpose — bringing together communities, organizations, and systems to scale life-saving solutions.
- **Innovation:** Evolving based on scientific data and lived experience to meet the changing needs of veterans and those who support them.
- **Accountability:** Leading with hope and urgency to break stigma, scale life-saving solutions, and mobilize every voice in the fight.
- **No One Left Behind:** Honoring every veteran, their family, caregivers, and survivors. Committed to reaching those most at risk and eliminating barriers.

## Our Approach

Face the Fight follows a public health approach to suicide prevention, using dynamic data modeling and evidence-informed interventions aligned with CDC-identified strategies. The organization has a goal to save an estimated 15,000 veteran lives by 2030.

### Four Pillars

1. **Advance Proven Solutions for Veteran Suicide Prevention:** Scaling strategies aligned with prioritized CDC evidence-informed interventions through partnerships, coalition activation, and intentional grantmaking.
2. **Engage and Support the Military and Veteran Community:** Uplifting service members, veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors, empowering them to both give and receive meaningful support.
3. **Mobilize a Coalition to Increase Cross-sector Collaboration:** Fostering collaboration between businesses, philanthropists, nonprofits, and government through quarterly meetings, webinars, and town halls.
4. **Build Awareness, Empower Change, and Drive Action:** Normalizing conversations around mental health and suicide, reducing stigma, and encouraging help-seeking.

### Focus Areas

- **Safe & Secure Storage of Firearms:** Encouraging voluntary secure storage of firearms to reduce firearm-related suicides, respecting individuals' autonomy in decision-making.
- **Screening for Suicide:** Using efficient evidence-based screening tools (e.g., C-SSRS, PHQ-9) in community and healthcare settings.
- **Managing Suicide Risk:** Focused on reducing risk factors, increasing social connections, treating psychiatric diagnoses, means safety strategies, and safety planning (e.g., Crisis Response Planning, Safety Planning Intervention).
- **Treating Suicide Risk:** Collaborative clinical work using evidence-based treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapies.

## Our Impact

Key metrics:
- 620,000+ lives impacted through funded programs
- 6,500 projected lives saved by 2032
- 417,000+ veterans screened
- 67,000+ veterans received care
- 70,000+ lethal means safety conversations held
- $42M+ in grants distributed
- 83 suicide prevention projects
- 250+ coalition members
- 30,000+ people trained in evidence-informed interventions

## Trainings & Workshops

Face the Fight offers evidence-informed suicide prevention trainings and practical tools, curated and delivered by leading clinical experts. Academic partner: The University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center.

### Lethal Means Safety (LMS) Workshop
- **Duration:** 2 hours | **CE Credits:** 2 | **Frequency:** Offered monthly
- **Description:** Focuses on improving voluntary secure storage of firearms and other lethal means to reduce suicidal behavior. Provides practical tools for facilitating discussions that promote secure storage of firearms.
- **Audience:** Open to anyone who supports veterans — peers, friends, family, clinical providers, veteran-serving organizations, and veteran allies.
- **Path:** /resources/trainings-workshops/lethal-means-safety

### Crisis Response Plan (CRP) Workshop
- **Duration:** 5 hours | **CE Credits:** 4.5 | **Frequency:** Offered monthly
- **Description:** Enhances knowledge about crisis response planning for managing acute suicide risk and increases ability to administer this intervention confidently. Includes a live virtual workshop and access to an online resource portal.
- **Audience:** Open to anyone who supports veterans.
- **Path:** /resources/trainings-workshops/crisis-response-plan

### Veteran Cultural Competence Training
- **Duration:** 3 hours | **CE Credits:** 2.75
- **Description:** Interactive online program designed to enhance understanding of the unique challenges veterans face during military-to-civilian transition. Covers socio-emotional needs, communication strategies, bias identification, and building meaningful connections. Also serves as an entryway to the Onward Ops Veteran Sponsorship program.
- **Audience:** Anyone who provides services to or employs veterans or their families — medical/mental health professionals, business leaders, HR executives, administrators, university faculty and staff.
- **Path:** /resources/trainings-workshops/veteran-cultural-competence

## Veteran & Community Resources

Face the Fight connects people to urgent support, proven tools, and no-cost mental and brain health care.

### Community-Based Resources
Programs and services for anyone at risk or interested in training in suicide prevention.
- **Path:** /resources/community-based

### Guides & Toolkits
Educational guides and evidence-informed tools for firearm safety, suicide risk conversations, and community engagement.
- **Path:** /resources/guides-toolkits

### Postvention Resources
Immediate and ongoing support for those impacted by a suicide loss. Postvention promotes healing, reduces suicide risk for loss survivors, and reduces stigma surrounding suicide. Includes training sessions, support groups, and organizations.
- **Path:** /resources/postvention

### Messages of Hope
- **Path:** /resources/messages-of-hope

## Coalition Hub

The Face the Fight coalition is a powerful network of nonprofits, foundations, corporations, and government liaisons. Coalition members gain access to exclusive resources, meetings, guides, toolkits, and social media kits.

- **Coalition Hub:** /coalition-hub
- **Member Resources:** /coalition-hub/member-resources
- **Upcoming Meetings:** /coalition-hub/upcoming-meetings
- **Newsletters:** /coalition-hub/newsletters

**Strategic Coalition Partner:** Elizabeth Dole Foundation — aligning caregiver leadership, policy insight, and coalition coordination.

## Get Involved

### Become a Coalition Member
Organizations can join to be part of a transformative movement aimed at reducing veteran suicide. Members gain funding opportunities, visibility, tools, and a national platform to scale what works.
- **Path:** /become-a-coalition-member

### Become a Brand Ambassador
Passionate individuals who lend their authentic voices to uplift veterans through public service messages, media appearances, events, social media amplification, and awareness campaigns.
- **Path:** /become-a-brand-ambassador

### Donate
Contribute to the Face the Fight Charitable Fund — a Donor Advised Fund supporting strategies backed by data, driven by impact, and built for lasting change.
- **Path:** /donate

### Support Face the Fight
Additional ways to support including leveraging company assets and strengthening organizational impact.
- **Path:** /support

## About

- **About:** /about
- **Our Approach:** /about/our-approach
- **Leadership:** /about/leadership
- **Coalition Members:** /about/coalition-members
- **Philanthropic Supporters:** /about/philanthropic-supporters

## News & Impact

- **News:** /news
- **Our Impact:** /our-impact
- **Awarded Grants:** /our-impact/awarded-grants
- **Stories & Insights:** /our-impact/stories-insights
- **Faces of the Fight:** /our-impact/faces-of-the-fight
- **Progress Reports:** /our-impact/progress-reports

## Strategic Plan

The 2026–2028 Strategic Plan outlines the next phase of impact: "Moving forward, together in hope." Face the Fight believes in a future where every veteran feels connected, valued, and empowered.
- **Path:** /strategicplan

## Connect

- **Connect With Us:** /connect-with-us
- **Social Media:** @WeFaceTheFight
- **Hashtags:** #FacetheFight, #JoinedtheFight
- **Coalition Contact:** facethefight@socialdriver.com

## Policies

- **Privacy Policy:** /privacy-policy
- **Accessibility Policy:** /accessibility-policy