Marianne Goodman, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, with her patient, Wilfredo Santos. Photo courtesy of Medical Media, JJP (Bronx) VA Medical Center.
On June 1, Marianne Goodman, MD, Associate Director of the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs’ New York Mental Illness Research Education Clinical Center of Excellence (MIRECC) and Director of the MIRECC’s Suicide Prevention and Treatment Research Program, was honored by Congressman Jose E. Serrano (D-NY) with a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol.
This was requested by one of her patients, Wilfredo Santos, who had written to Congressman Serrano to ask how to honor Dr. Goodman and the VA team for their dedication to preventing suicide in veterans via the Project Life Force (PLF) program. Congressman Serrano suggested the June 1 flag ceremony, and on August 16, the patient presented her with the flag that was flown and the accompanying dedication letter. “You often hear negative news being published about the VA, specifically related to suicide,” Mr. Santos said. “But we don’t recognize the hard work and achievements of our providers, which is why I wanted to honor Dr. Goodman. Sometimes we need to recognize good work in the news.”
PLF is one of several suicide prevention projects at the New York MIRECC. It brings veterans with recent histories of suicidal thinking and completed suicide plans together in groups for safety planning and skills training. The program incorporates elements from dialectical behavior therapy, and emphasizes building interpersonal relationships with friends, family, and the treatment team. It also includes gun safety education and recommends a mobile app to help them stay on track with their safety plans.
As they move through the program, veterans update their safety plans with the new skills they learn in therapy. While group therapy is common for treating PTSD and anger, it is typically not used for suicidal patients because the prevailing belief has been that suicidal patients mixing and discussing their thoughts could actually increase risk. However, Dr. Goodman’s group has found that at least with veterans, the effect is the opposite. “Veterans no longer feel alone,” she said. “They feel someone understands their impulses and urges.”
Dr. Goodman has worked with Mr. Santos for the last 10 years, and he believes that she saved his life through PLF. “With PLF, we communicate with other veterans in the room to offer support and generate ideas on how to distract yourself so that you don’t hurt yourself,” he said. “We truly use our suicide safety plans and make them part of our everyday lives.”
“The flag and the dedication on Capitol Hill are an incredible honor,” said Dr. Goodman. “It’s a great feeling to know that our work is helping veterans find meaning and purpose in their lives.”