Team Trilogy, along with our partners from Ibility and District Communications Group (DCG), traveled to Portland, Oregon in July to support the biannual Veterans Affairs (VA) / Department of Defense (DOD) Suicide Prevention Conference. After a challenging year-long development path, this year’s event was the capstone of our work, and it was a rousing success, with over 2,000 attendees, more than 200 breakout sessions, and 40+ exhibitors.
Since 2004, the joint VA and DOD Suicide Prevention Conference has convened every two years to discuss the latest research, programs, and initiatives from their departments, community partners, and subject matter experts in the fields of mental health and suicide prevention. In addition to providing ongoing education on these critical topics, this conference presents a unique opportunity for members of these two separate but closely related agencies to collaborate and share ideas and information with one another.
As you can imagine, a conference of this size and scope required expert coordination, planning, and a fair amount of diplomacy to bring together disparate teams who are all very passionate about suicide prevention. Our team regularly went above and beyond to support our VA clients, managing numerous concurrent planning teams and coordinating between the Office of Suicide Prevention and other teams, such as ILEAD (VA’s Institute for Learning, Education, and Development) and DSPO (DOD’s Defense Suicide Prevention Office), to deliver an inspiring and informational conference that exceeded VA, DOD, and attendees’ expectations. Team Trilogy was responsible for event and communications planning, project management, and on-site logistics and support throughout the event. Our team also developed the entire branding and graphic profile for the conference and implemented a strong communications strategy that ensured leaders, presenters, and attendees were well-informed and engaged.
This year’s conference theme was “Reimagining Suicide Prevention: Evolving and Innovating to Meet Diverse Needs” and included a rich program of presenters, ranging from VA Secretary Denis McDonough and VHA’s Executive Director for Suicide Prevention, Dr. Matthew Miller, to a performance by a suicide prevention comedy troupe called One Degree of Separation. The program also included several wellness activities throughout the conference for attendees looking to re-center during their busy schedules. Check out the schedule of events & special sessions that were held.
One of the most powerful presentations came from Bonnie Carroll, President and Founder of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), who spoke about founding the organization after losing her own husband in the line of duty and finding strength in the support she received from her fellow survivors. The conference also featured over 200 breakout sessions led by subject matter experts from a wide variety of organizations and professional disciplines, ranging from reviews of the Keep It Secure paid media campaign (a prior Trilogy project) to deep discussions about the integration of pastoral/spiritual guidance into suicide prevention efforts.
We’re tremendously proud of the work our team delivered – both in extensive pre-event planning and on-site support – for this successful conference. Our clients expressed their gratitude for the support we provided throughout the year, and attendees and speakers were very complimentary of the results of our team’s hard work. It was a memorable experience that tested our abilities, and our team showed amazing resilience, grace under pressure, and good humor throughout.
If you’re experiencing a mental health crisis or concerned about someone who is, contact the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to receive 24/7 confidential support, including customized assistance for Veterans and their families via the Veterans Crisis Line. To reach responders, dial 988 then press 1, chat online at https://988lifeline.org/chat/, or text 988.