Problem:
Based on CDC data, it is estimated that there are as many as 5000 per year among all living veterans. Driven by the overall increase in Air National Guard suicides since 9/11 and triggered by 3 suicides in a 32 day period of time at just one ANG base, The Wingman Project was created with the goal of reducing suicide in the military. There are a number of existing efforts across the military attempting to address this issue, but none of them fill gaps in existing suicide prevention programs to save lives.
Solution:
Solving the problem of suicide is more of a social than a technical challenge. Working with Dr. Paul Quinnett from the QPR Institute, The Wingman Project chose to adopt a suicide intervention approach where every Airman is equipped with QPR techniques to save their Wingman’s life and get that person to professional help. To support this, the Wingman Project is built on a multi-media focused social networking IT Platform. Multiple options for downloads were provided to reach the multitude of devices in the market today including iPhones, PocketPC and iPods. Included, in addition, is a secure log-in page for military leaders to download presentation materials that can be customized. Because video is a primary communication tool, the solution integrates with YouTube to save on data storage and utilize its popularity.
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