A new program is now available for Vineyard veterans struggling with suicidal thoughts.
The Volunteers of America of Massachusetts (VOAMASS), a nonprofit organization based in Jamaica Plain that provides a variety of support for veterans, announced in a press release the start of a new suicide prevention program for veterans in seven counties, including Dukes.
The new program is called the Engaging Veterans and Elevating Resilience (EVER) and offers “suicide risk screening, education, case management, benefits assistance, peer support, safety planning, outreach, and connections to VA [Veteran Affairs] and community services,” the release states. According to VOAMASS, the program is “staffed by an experienced team of veterans” and “designed to prevent suicide through evidence-based solutions” with goals to “reduce isolation, strengthen veteran stability, and ensure that veterans can gain access to appropriate clinical care.” Veterans interested in the EVER program or in need of assistance can email veteranservices@voamass.org for additional information.
It’s funded by a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ (VA) Staff Seargeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program.
“We are extremely grateful for the VA’s partnership in addressing the devastating reality of high rates of suicide among our nation’s heroes,” VOAMASS President and CEO Charles E. Gagnon said in the release. “These funds are critical for VOAMASS to provide comprehensive care to veterans in our commonwealth, enabling us to add a dedicated suicide prevention program to our continuum of care.”
The suicide rate is higher among veterans than in the general population. According to the VA’s most recent veterans suicide prevention report, the 2024 suicide rate was 36.4 per 100,000 veterans, while data showed a rate for 16.7 per 100,000 non-veteran U.S. adults. And meanwhile, according to federal data, Dukes County had the highest suicide rate in the state for the overall population between 2019 and 2023 at 18.2 per 100,000 people.
Tom Bennett, veteran services director of Martha’s Vineyard Community Services and a U.S. Air Force veteran, said he wasn’t familiar with VOAMASS, but he expects to hear about the new program soon from George Pimentel, the Dukes County director of veteran services, since the county is included as one of the focus areas. Pimentel wasn’t immediately available for comment.
VOAMASS’ program will complement programs that exist on the Island to support veterans.
On the Island, Community Services lost VA funding last year used for a combat veterans support group led by Bennett that provided local support both virtually and in person. The cut was made as part of a federal slash of more than 500 contracts that the VA deemed to be duplicative or not critical. VA representatives previously told The Times that they felt the services could be done through the department and the termination of the near four-decade contract saves them money. Following The Times’ story, fundraising efforts, including a benefit concert and private donations, restored the funding needed to continue the program.
Vineyard veterans shared with The Times in 2025 the importance of the program for them, especially sharing camaraderie with people who understood them as veterans and Islanders.
If you are a veteran in crisis or know someone who is, the Veterans Crisis Hotline, a VA-run service, can be reached for 24/7 confidential support. The hotline is accessible by dialing 988 and pressing 1, texting 838255, or through online chat at www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help-now/chat/. On the Island, Martha’s Vineyard Community Services offers various veterans services, including a support group. It also offers urgent behavioral health services between Monday and Friday 8 am to 8 pm and Saturdays from 8 am to 12 pm and offers same-day services to walk-ins or those who call 508-693-7900.
