10-04-2025
NYS offering funding to support veteran, first responder suicide prevention
WATERTOWN, N.Y. (WWTI) – New York Governor Kathy Hochul's office announced the award of 18 grants to expand resiliency and suicide prevention efforts for military veterans and uniformed personnel.
These grants will be administered through the New York Office of Mental Health's Suicide Prevention Center of New York, the CARES UP initiative and will provide $60,000 over two years to four law enforcement agencies, three fire departments; three EMS services; three emergency communications organizations; two corrections agencies and three organizations serving veterans.
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These grants will help will suicide prevention efforts for law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical service personnel, correction officers and emergency dispatchers.
In addition, the Office of Mental Health also provided awards of $40,000 over two years to 11 organizations previously funded through CARES UP to sustain their mental health and wellness initiatives. These sustainability awards were made possible after the governor's office successfully increased funding for the program in the FY25 Enacted Budget to $3 million annually.
It is important to recognize the stress and cumulative trauma first responders and veterans experience as they do their jobs and the toll that this can take on their mental health. CARES UP works with their organizations to mitigate this stress, build resilience and support mental wellbeing. By building and expanding this program, Governor Hochul is demonstrating her commitment to the mental wellness of our veterans, first responders and their families.
New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan
The St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility will receive funding from this year's CARES Up grant.
The CARES UP program provides organizations with $30,000 annually to increase suicide prevention efforts and wellness programming in their agencies. First responder agencies work closely with the Suicide Prevention Center to receive training from national subject matter experts on topics such as resiliency, mental health and wellness, suicide prevention and peer support and implement agency-specific actions to address their unique needs.
The initiative also provides these grants to support veterans' organizations through Onward Ops. Organizations that get the award will use the funding to promote social welfare of service members transitioning back to their communities after their tour of duty ends.
According to the announcement from the governor's office, studies have shown the cumulative stress and trauma are common in uniformed personnel professions and have placed these individuals at greater risk of suicide.
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The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services partnered with SUNY New Paltz's Institute for Disaster Mental Health to complete a first responder needs assessment survey of more than 6,000 individuals in law enforcement, emergency medical services, fire services, emergency communications and emergency management from every region to help better understand the challenges.
The assessment showed more than half of the participants experience high levels of stress, burnout, anxiety and depression related to their jobs, and that they may not seek help due to their fear of facing stigma. Thoughts of suicide were reported by 16-percent of respondents — a level four times higher than the general population of the state.
Likewise, New York veterans die by suicide at a rate nearly two times higher than civilians — a rate that has remained relatively unchanged since 2012. Veterans under the age of 55 consistently experience the highest rates of suicide in New York.
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