ACMF is a non-profit organization in Arizona that works with public and private partners to build the state’s capacity to support Arizona’s 500,000+ service members, veterans, and their families with a collective impact model that uses an upstream approach to suicide prevention. 

United in Strength

Arizona is home to a vibrant and diverse military and veteran community with more than 500,000 service members, veterans, and their family members. We know that serving in the military and being a member of a military-affiliated family requires a tremendous amount of strength, sacrifice, and courage. These are the traits that our neighbors, friends, and the nation admire about the military and veteran community.

There are also times when service in the military can result in stress, injury, or illness.

A military lifestyle can cause strain, financial hardship and even bring challenges related to moving, fitting in, and finding a home. The Arizona Coalition for Military Families recognizes that these challenges can result in increased stress and, in the worst cases, can lead to crisis. That’s why we take a proactive approach and work collaboratively with a variety of partners in the community, the government, and various professions to develop a network of support for any service member, veteran, or military family member in Arizona.

Our work unites a variety of public and private partnerships across the state to ensure that every Arizona service member, veteran, and their families are connected to whatever form of a support system for their unique needs. Those needs take a variety of forms, so here is a look at some of the partnerships we have been building in Arizona for the last 14 years.

Postvention & Suicide Mortality Review

This summer, Arizona was one of seven states and communities selected for the first cohort of a Policy Academy focused on Suicide Mortality Review. The academy was conducted as part of the VA/SAMHSA Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans & Their Families. Arizona has had a state team operating continuously since 2010, co-led by the Arizona Coalition for Military Families. 

As part of the academy, a multi-disciplinary team representing key partners from across sectors, systems, and communities around Arizona was assembled to engage in strategic planning around Suicide Mortality Review. This is a structured process intended to better understand deaths by suicide so we can implement prevention strategies to save lives in the future. Arizona already operates a legislatively mandated Suicide Mortality Review process housed with the Arizona Department of Health Services. 

The goal for participating in the academy was to explore the potential for a Veteran specific Suicide Mortality Review team. Through a structured technical assistance process, the team generated two goals:

Goal #1: A Veteran-Specific Centralized Suicide Mortality Process for Arizona

This team will operate under the Arizona Department of Health Services and provide the process to strengthen our understanding of the veteran deaths by suicide that have taken place in Arizona. The goal is to generate prevention recommendations that can then be implemented by Be Connected and our partners to have a direct impact on our military, veteran and family population across the state.

Goal #2: Streamlining and Expanding Postvention Resources

While prevention is crucial, we must also acknowledge the individuals left behind by those who have died by suicide and the significant increase in risk for those who have experienced a suicide loss. The goal is to provide guidance and support for people, organizations and communities after a loss, including the extended circle of people who may be impacted (e.g. immediate and extended family, friends, coworkers, organization and community members, etc.). This information will be tailored to our community’s specific needs and encourage access to support into the future, not just in the immediate aftermath.

Join Our Team at Fort Huachuca

We’re hiring a full-time Program Coordinator to work on-site at Fort Huachuca. The first review of candidates happens November 15.

Take the 2023 Arizona Veteran Survey

The Survey is Now Open!

The 2023 Arizona Veteran Survey is now open to all service members, veterans, family members, and community members. We want to hear your voice!

The 2023 VA Mental Health Summit was held on October 19 and featured a variety of speakers on a diverse range of mental health topics affecting veterans. For more information on the event, visit the virtual event center at ACMFEventCenter.org

Join Us on November 15

If you're interested in the role of faith when it comes to supporting service members, veterans and their families, we invite you to join us at the next Arizona Faith Gathering taking place virtually on Wednesday, November 15, 2023 from 10 – 11:30 a.m. Arizona time. There is no cost for this event and all are welcome! Register here.

Replay the August Event

Addressing the mental health needs of veterans and service members can take many forms. We recently held a webinar with keynote speaker Dr. Harold Koenig who shared insights from emerging research on the role of faith and spirituality in promoting mental well-being. You can replay the event below and follow along on the slides. Read more about the speakers.

For more information on these and other events, please visit ConnectVeterans.org/Events

Follow Us on Social Media!

The Arizona Coalition for Military Families works collaboratively with government agencies, community members, and partner organizations to form an Ecosystem of Support that Arizona's service members, veterans, and their families can access through the Be Connected support line, 866-4AZ-VETS, and ConnectVeterans.org. Be Connected offers no-cost support and connections to resources and has trained more than 6,000 community members to provide resource navigation services.