BOOTS TO WELLNESS, Women Veterans Healthcare Research Exchange: Suicide Prevention. She Served, She Matters.

This hybrid event, scheduled for May 13, 2026, 10 a.m.—12 p.m. EDT (in person at the Crescenz VAMC LVA Auditorium and online over WebEx), will focus on Veteran Women’s healthcare research at the VA and the importance of Veteran voices in VA research. Following brief presentations from Veterans, VA researchers and others about Women Veterans’ health, Veterans will ask questions that are important to them and to learn more about upcoming active research studies.

To attend online: Click here.‍ ‍To attend in person, join us on May 13, 2026 at 10am-12pm in the LVA Auditorium at Crescenz VAMC.

SHE SERVED. SHE MATTERS.

Women Veterans are one of the fastest-growing populations in the VA’s health care system. They have served with distinction, leadership, and resilience across every branch of the military. Yet as this population grows, so does the need for targeted, gender-informed approaches to mental health and suicide prevention. As members of the Veterans Community Advisory Board, we believe that raising awareness, strengthening connections, and ensuring access to the right resources are essential to protecting the lives and well-being of women who have served.

While suicide rates among Veterans overall remain a serious concern, research shows that women Veterans face unique risks. Compared with non-Veteran women, women Veterans experience higher rates of suicide, due to factors that include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); military sexual trauma (MST); depression, anxiety, or substance use disorders; difficult transitions to civilian life; social isolation or loss of military identity; and/or financial stress, housing instability, or caregiving pressures.

Women Veterans are also more likely to experience overlapping life roles—as caregivers, parents, partners, and professionals—while managing service-related physical or emotional injuries. These layered responsibilities make it harder to prioritize their own mental health or seek help early.

Barriers to Care

Despite expanded services, many women Veterans still face obstacles when it comes to accessing mental health care. These include stigma around mental health treatment; a culture of self-reliance and endurance; limited awareness of women-specific VA services; scheduling challenges related to work, childcare, or transportation; and past negative experiences in male-dominated environments.

For some, the perception that VA services are primarily designed for men discourage engagement, even as the VA has made significant strides in women-centered care. And the VA continues to expand suicide prevention efforts that recognize the specific needs of women Veterans.

Many VA facilities offer women-only therapy groups, trauma-informed care, and providers trained in gender-specific mental health concerns, including MST recovery. Every VA medical center has dedicated Suicide Prevention Coordinators who provide outreach, risk assessment, safety planning, and follow-up care.

Whole Health and Peer Support

When women Veterans see themselves reflected in outreach and services, they are more likely to engage early—before a crisis develops. By strengthening awareness, reducing stigma, and building meaningful connections, we can help ensure that every woman Veteran knows she is valued, supported, and never alone.

Programs that emphasize connection, purpose, and community—such as peer mentoring, wellness coaching, and women Veterans groups—help reduce isolation, a major risk factor for suicide. The VA uses predictive analytics and coordinated outreach to identify and support Veterans who may be at increased risk, ensuring that care reaches those who may not actively seek it.

But clinical care alone is not enough. Prevention happens in everyday spaces—within families, workplaces, Veteran Service Organizations, faith communities, and peer networks. Sometimes the most effective intervention is a simple check-in: “How are you really doing?”

The “Don’t Wait. Reach Out.” campaign is an initiative from VA and the Ad Council that encourages Veterans to proactively seek support and resources for any life challenge they may face. The VA Center for Women Veteranswelcomes all women Veterans, servicewomen, family members, caregivers, and advocates. The Center’s mission is to advocate for improved outcomes and access to VA benefits, services, and opportunities for women Veterans through education, outreach, and collaboration. 

If someone may be in immediate danger, call 911. Otherwise, encourage them to contact the Veterans Crisis Line (Dial 988, press 1) or help connect them to a VA provider. They are standing by to help.

The Veterans Crisis Line

Available 24/7 by dialing 988 and pressing 1, texting 838255, or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net to chat online, the Crisis Line connects Veterans with responders trained to understand military culture and the experiences of women Veterans.

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Veterans can help shape the direction of research and policy initiatives for years to come. It’s about the present moment, and about building a brighter and healthier future for all Veterans.

So mark your calendars, bring your questions, and join us at the Philadelphia VA on February 19th, 2026, at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VAMC, (3900 Woodland Ave, Multipurpose Room, 3rd Floor; or online with WebEx), and let's work together towards a future where every Veteran receives the care and support they deserve.

To attend Boots to Wellness online, register now!

CHERP’s Veterans Community Advisory Board

The VCAB is made up of Veterans, like you, and they are working hard to promote holistic Veteran healthcare.  This starts with spreading awareness among Veterans and researchers of the health equity issues that affect Veteran health and how to address them in the VA health system. “The voice of Veterans is often lost in research,” former VCAB Chair, Chuck Maxwell noted. “As a result, solutions developed may not meet the needs of patients. Patients and the public have come to feel disconnected from the goals of research.” With this in mind, the VCAB, in partnership with PREF and the Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia, present the Veterans Healthcare Research Forum: ‘Boots to Wellness,’ May 13, 2026, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. EDT.

Get Involved! Veteran voices shaping research!

If you want to engage with Veterans about VA Research and identify with the CHERP VCAB’s mission, “To advise, foster relationships, and contribute experience and input to CHERP Leadership and Researchers in order to promote health, healthcare, and health equity for the Veteran Community,” the Veterans Community Advisory Board in Philadelphia would love to have you as a member! Contact CHERPVCAB@gmail.com today!