Citation

Rubin R. J. Am. Med. Assoc. JAMA 2020; 324(12): 1128.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, American Medical Association)

DOI

10.1001/jama.2020.17588

PMID

32960226

Abstract

OnStar, perhaps best known for providing emergency services for people involved in motor vehicle crashes, recently partnered with the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to improve access to suicide prevention services.

On average, 20 veterans die by suicide each day, according to the VA.

When veterans considering suicide use the emergency services button in an OnStar-equipped vehicle or the OnStar Guardian smartphone app, they will be connected to the VA's Veterans Crisis Line, which operates around-the-clock, 7 days a week. The VA and OnStar, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors, will collaborate to train VA clinicians and OnStar call center staff to facilitate suicide prevention efforts for veterans. In addition, the VA will help OnStar staff learn about military culture and how to determine whether a caller is a veteran.

Language: en