I recently had the opportunity to engage with colleagues in Washington, D.C. to discuss the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP). It was a valuable exchange of ideas and insights, offering a glimpse into the diverse ways states are implementing this critical initiative. With the shared focus on preventing veteran suicide and connecting at-risk veterans, especially those not engaged with the VA, to meaningful support, the conversation underscored just how vital this work is across the nation. The following are my reflections on this important work and how we’re faring in Arizona. 

Arizona Sets the Pace for Veteran Suicide Prevention with the Fox Grant Program
Arizona has emerged as a national leader in veteran suicide prevention, demonstrating the power of partnership, infrastructure, and upstream intervention through the SSG Fox SPGP. Our successful implementation of the SSG Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program can be attributed to the fact that we already have an existing infrastructure, team, and mechanisms in place. By leveraging our well-established statewide Ecosystem of Support, we can pull various levers for upstream suicide prevention to connect veterans to support services. Contrast this with some states that may lack the statewide infrastructure or are in the early stages of forming those mechanisms.

A Model Built for Action
As our stakeholders, partners, and champions know – our success here in Arizona didn’t happen overnight. Together with elected officials, community leaders, partner organizations, and our service members, veterans, and their families, the Arizona Coalition for Military Families (ACMF) has worked for nearly two decades to build a system of foundational values and principles that guide our work.

Rather than starting from scratch, Arizona had:

• A unique, organized public-private partnership that is a statewide system.
• An established network of more than 500 partner organizations that have been vetted to provide resources across the entire spectrum of the Social Determinants of Health.

• Deep collaboration between VA, state, and community organizations.

• We have a centralized phone number for resource navigation, known as the Be Connected support line – 866-4AZ-VETS.

• An existing upstream prevention framework through Be Connected that is focused on early intervention, community-based engagement, and proactive care, known as upstream suicide prevention.

This infrastructure and readiness allowed Arizona to move quickly and be effective when the SSG Fox SPGP was introduced. This resulted in our ability to maximize outreach, promote access to resources, and increase engagement. 

Leading the Nation in Results
When compared to other grantees across the nation, Arizona stands out, not just for our innovative model, but for our unmatched performance.

From January 2023 to September 2024, Arizona’s Be Connected team achieved:

• 6,450+ outreach contacts (vs. the national average of 478 per grantee)
• 485 people screened (vs. the national average of 128)
• 186 eligible participants (vs. the national average of 90)
• 14 emergency mental health referral forms (vs. national average of 7)
• 138 non-emergency mental health referral forms (vs. national average of 63)

Arizona’s numbers are consistently 2x to 13.5x higher than the national average across all tracked metrics.

Engaging the Unengaged
One of the core goals of the SSG Fox Grant is to reach veterans who are not currently engaged with the VA, those who are often the most at risk. Arizona has proven uniquely capable of fulfilling that mission.

Of the 1,016 total referrals to date through the Arizona Fox Grant program:

• 880 came from non-VA sources
• 137 came from the three VA Health Care Systems in Arizona
  • 40 from Northern Arizona VA Health Care System (NAVAHCS)
  • 72 from Phoenix VAHCS
  • 25 from Southern Arizona VAHCS

This means that 87% of referrals came from outside the VA system, helping to connect disengaged veterans to a broader ecosystem of support and care. 

Programs That Make a Difference
Arizona’s grant implementation focuses on two innovative service models:

Coaching Into Connection – This intervention reduces social isolation by:

• Creating a personalized connection plan
• Identifying and addressing barriers to connection
• Exploring new ways to engage with the community, guided by trained Veteran Connection Coaches

Care Transition Team – This team provides enhanced support during vulnerable transition periods such as:

• • Post-emergency room visits or hospital discharge
  • Release from justice involvement
  • Transitions into or out of mental health or substance use treatment
  • Homelessness or temporary housing situations

These programs are embedded within the Be Connected system, ensuring every participant receives coordinated support. 

Recognition and National Leadership
Arizona’s work has received repeated national recognition for being a model of what’s possible when VA resources meet local leadership and coordination:

• One of only two states awarded a VA Cooperative Agreement for Veteran Suicide Mortality Review
• Recognized at the 2024 VA/DoD Suicide Prevention Conference with four featured presentations
• Nationally spotlighted for public-private partnership, innovative data tools, and cross-sector engagement
• Named a best-practice example by:
  • The White House (across three administrations)
  • VA and DoD leadership
  • CDC and SAMHSA
  • House & Senate VA Committees

Charting the Path Forward
What Arizona has accomplished with the SSG Fox SPGP is more than a success story. Every number represents a life impacted. Each of those lives collectively builds a compelling case to show what’s possible when federal investment meets local readiness, when community partnerships are already in place, and when every effort is focused on upstream prevention. While every state brings its own strengths to this vital mission, Arizona’s model offers a roadmap for what can be achieved when systems are built to connect, intervene early, and serve holistically. As we continue to innovate, share lessons learned, and support our fellow grantees across the country, we remain committed to one mission above all: saving lives by strengthening the systems that support our veterans.