Suicide awareness, prevention remains DCMA priority

FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. -

As the nation observes National Suicide Prevention Month, Defense Contract Management Agency leadership renewed its resolve to reinforce awareness and to provide preventive resources to the workforce and their families.

The agency has championed the effort for years. In September 2021, DCMA established the CARES Council with a mission "to openly discuss, identify, and bring to bear specific measures to eradicate the devastating impact that racism, extremism, sexual assault/harassment, workplace violence, other destructive behaviors, and suicide has on all (DCMA) personnel, in both their personal and professional lives."

Sonya Ebright, DCMA's deputy director and CARES Council chair, highlighted the group's mission.

"The Council's purpose is to provide senior leaders with policy recommendations and strategic initiatives to support our workforce and their families regarding prevention and recovery from corrosive behaviors," said Ebright.

The Council broadly defines destructive behaviors as those inconsistent with DCMA's core values of integrity, service and excellence.

Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Babatunji Akande, DCMA's senior enlisted advisor and CARES Council co-chair, said the council's leaders are sensory nodes for activities that may impact employees across the agency.

"We solicit information from employees through the CARES Council inbox to discuss topics that are of concern," Akande said. "We seek to tackle any negative trends and highlight positive ones to benchmark them agency wide."

Akande said suicide prevention and awareness is important to DCMA because like any other Department of Defense agency, taking care of our teammates and ensuring their health and wellbeing is our number one priority.

"People are the vehicle that makes the mission happen, and there is no mission without the people to accomplish it," said Akande. "To accomplish the mission effectively, we need the people to be in the right state of mind, while promoting a positive work climate."

To address suicide awareness prevention, the CARES Council created the Get Help webpage on the DCMA public website to provide easily accessible resources for employees, their families and the public. Agency employees can quickly access these resources by clicking on the orange and yellow ribbon "Get Help" icon on their computer desktops, or on the home screen of their work phones and tablets.

Nicole Dandridge, DCMA's interim suicide prevention program manager, said mental health is fundamental to a person's overall well-being, and making it a priority is essential for everyone.

"This issue is very close to my heart, and I'm dedicated to being vigilant in our efforts to assist those in need," said Dandridge, who is also the agency's anti-harassment program manager. "Together, we can build a workplace and community where everyone feels valued and supported."

Akande said stress is inevitable in life and we must find ways to manage and reduce it. DCMA has many programs geared toward work-life balance, and he advises to be preemptive and start using those resources as preventive measures rather than as corrective measures when things are out of balance.

"Don't suffer in silence," said Akande. "We all try to find a work-life balance, and it's a challenge for most. We are all we've got, and we have to take care of one another."

DCMA employees can also access resources on the DOD365-J Suicide Prevention website (login required.)

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