New Montana initiative aims to prevent veteran suicide with challenge coins

The 988 1 suicide prevention coins will be distributed to veterans across Montana. The coins are designed to be a conversation starter when a veteran meets a fellow service member in need.

A new initiative in Montana aims to support veterans through specially designed challenge coins. These coins, created by a Montana State University student, are intended to help prevent suicide among veterans. The 988 1 suicide prevention coins will be distributed to veterans across Montana. The coins are designed to be a conversation starter when a veteran meets a fellow service member in need, MSU's release said.

"We think of these challenge coins as a reminder that you are not alone and that there is someone there for you," said Todd Bucher, director of MSU Veteran Services and a former Marine. "There will always be somebody out there that will be right by your side no matter what you’re going through."

Montana has consistently ranked among the states with the highest suicide rates in its veteran community, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The Montana Department of Health and Human Services cites several factors, including environmental risks, high firearm ownership, social isolation, and inadequate mental health services, as contributing to this issue.

The coin's design symbolizes one veteran helping another, explained the designer, Jo Brown, who is now working in California. "It’s a symbol of one veteran pulling another out from the mud, metaphorically," Brown said.

Veterans will receive two coins each at various events across the state. They are encouraged to keep one and give the other to a fellow veteran in need.

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