DC Project’s Suicide Prevention Educator Kathleen Gilligan has won a $1 million grant for developing Sentinel, a customizable mobile app designed to help prevent veteran suicides. Gilligan and her business partner were awarded the grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, fielded from more than 1,300 concept submissions.
“As an organization that touts firearm safety, we applaud our Suicide Prevention Educator, Kathleen Gilligan,” said DC Project Founder Dianna Muller. “It will have a vast impact not only for veterans but in preventing countless suicides. For years, the DC Project has maintained firearm owners have meaningful solutions to reduce firearms deaths, and this is an outstanding example.”
Sentinel, a highly scalable application designed to reduce veteran suicide, combines lethal means restriction with real-time support of a trusted safety team. It encourages safe storage of firearms and medications, while facilitating strong connections with other veterans, family and friends. Sentinel is ideally successful when partnered with a basic suicide education one-hour class included in the app program.
“Winning the grant to help prevent veteran suicide is an honor and privilege that allows us to make a real difference in the lives of those who have served our country,” said Gilligan. “Being able to contribute to the health and well-being of our veterans is an incredible opportunity to serve those who have served. Sentinel is the gift that supports veterans daily to practice the safe storage of their firearms and medications.”
To learn more about the voluntary mobile app, visit sentinelsafetyteam.com.
