Free Lawrence event offers suicide-prevention tools for veterans and service members

A free half-day gathering at KU’s Burge Union gave veterans, family members, law enforcement officers and first responders something immediate to take home: suicide-prevention tools, de-escalation techniques, personal wellness planning and a resource fair that could help in a crisis. The event began at 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 16, 2026, and attendees were asked to reserve no-cost tickets online.

Hosted by the University of Kansas School of Law’s Veterans Legal Support Clinic, the program was built around a practical question facing many Douglas County families: where do you turn when a veteran is struggling and time matters? Organizers said the “Lunch and Learn” would include three experts on suicide prevention and risk factors, along with crisis-management skill building. A free lunch was provided by the Robert Irvine Foundation.

The clinic partnered with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Eastern Kansas Health Care system, tying legal aid to mental-health support in a way that reflected the overlapping pressures many service members face after leaving military life. The Veterans Legal Support Clinic focuses on federal administrative law, including discharge upgrades and appeals before the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which can make a real difference for veterans trying to secure benefits, care and stability.

The event landed in a broader state and national context that made the stakes hard to ignore. The VA’s 2025 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report includes suicide data from 2001 through 2023, and the agency says 2023 state-level findings are now available to help partners design prevention strategies. Kansas’ veteran suicide rate was significantly higher than the national veteran suicide rate after age adjustment, according to the state data sheet.

The Robert Irvine Foundation says its suicide-prevention work is part of its Face the Fight initiative, and the foundation has said more than 125,000 veterans have died by suicide since 2001. That number framed the Lawrence program as more than a campus event. It was a local effort to put practical steps, support networks and trained people within reach of those who may need them most.

KU Law’s veteran-focused work has also been expanding. In 2024, the school received a $1.6 million federal grant to create its veterans legal aid clinic, underscoring that the support now being offered at Burge Union is part of a larger, ongoing effort to meet veterans where their legal and mental-health needs collide.