490. Stop Soldier Suicide's Work to Support Veterans' Mental Health - Crystal Clark

Trigger Warning: This episode of the We Are For Good Podcast discusses suicide.

If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 across the United States. Call or text 988 for help. For information about helplines worldwide, please find resources here.

If you're a veteran or service member in the United States in crisis, please call 844.235.2764 or visit Stop Soldier Suicide’s website at stopsoldiersuicide.org.

You are not alone.

Listen to this episode

Overview

This episode is part of Community Week, a celebration of the radical connections and community of belonging exploding here at We Are For Good.

Meet Crystal. We first met her on LinkedIn where she slid into our DM and just filled our cups to the brim with her kindness☕️ She then quickly became an unofficial member of the We Are For Good hype squad📣 Beyond being a devoted listener, she takes her passion for learning and growing to the next level by sharing insights with her team. We’re exploring Crystal's journey, from her roots as a teacher to her work at Stop Soldier Suicide, which has been fueled by a lifelong commitment to building community. Stop Soldier Suicide is on a relentless pursuit of innovation to reduce veteran suicide. Their team is constantly evolving by trying new things, learning from data and creating groundbreaking initiatives to save lives. Tune in to meet this driving force behind positive change💪

Today’s Guest

Crystal Clark, Senior Director of Donor Engagement, Stop Soldier Suicide

“Who else do you know that needs to know about our mission?”

— Crystal Clark, Senior Director of Donor Engagement, Stop Soldier Suicide

Episode Transcript

Download Full Episode Transcript Here

Episode Highlights

Crystal’s story and journey to where she is today (3:00)
Stop Solider Suicide’s mission (16:55)
Stop Solider Suicide’s wellness program, Roger (22:45)
Black Box Project (28:00)
How Crystla fosters relationships with donors (32:10)
How to help Stop Soldier Suicide today (36:15)
A powerful moment of philanthropy in Crystal’s life (37:40)
Crystal’s Two Good Things: Be present. + Stop, pause and reflect. (40:25)

Impactful Quotes

“Veterans are 57% more likely to die by suicide than their peers who did not serve.” -Crystal

“Veterans aren't going to raise their hands and say I need help, they have been trained to be in really difficult situations, and to be able to manage the stress and complexities that those are." -Crystal

“Raising your hand to say I need help is not easy.” -Crystal

“70% of our clients come in through strategic digital marketing tactics that we use." -Crystal

"We are using that data to then inform our model like how can we sharpen it, make it better, do do more things?" -Crystal

“Who else do you know that needs to know about our mission?” -Crystal

“Be present.” -Crystal

“Start to stop, pause and reflect.” -Crystal