Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that his office has joined with the VA Hudson Valley Healthcare System to form an Orange County Veterans Suicide Prevention Coalition. This new coalition is being led by Carl LoFaro, the community engagement and partnership coordinator with the VA, working out of the Castle Point and Montrose facilities.

The Orange County Veterans Suicide Prevention Coalition will speak about suicide prevention and the opioid crisis to any organization that requests a meeting. The coalition has also started to post Veterans Crisis Line posters detailing who to contact when in a crisis situation at local businesses, town halls and establishments across Orange County.

To schedule a meeting for your organization, or if you would like a Veterans Crisis Line poster or other resources to place at your business or establishment, contact LoFaro at carl.lofaro@va.gov.

The coalition is also looking for more partnerships with local organizations who are interested in helping to prevent veteran suicides and overdoses. If your organization is interested, contact the District Attorney’s Office or LoFaro at the VA Hudson Valley. The Coalition is planning a kickoff meeting in Goshen in January 2022, at a place and time to be determined. Further details will follow at a later date.

Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler said, “I am proud that the District Attorney’s Office, law enforcement, veteran organizations and the fish and game clubs of Orange County are working to prevent these tragedies from happening in Orange County and look forward to a long-lasting partnership with the VA Hudson Valley Healthcare System on this important job to help our veteran heroes. With the enthusiasm I have seen for this project in Orange County, we cannot fail. Even if one veteran suicide is prevented, the Coalition will have been worth the time and effort put into it. This, the month of November, is an especially fitting time to announce this project to the public since this month marks not only Veterans Day but the 246th birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps as well. Veterans are our family, friends and neighbors and deserve our support in this county and all across America.”