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September 02, 2025
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) introduces Link2Life as the new name for its suicide prevention grant program. Funded by the federal Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP), MVAA’s Link2Life operates as a bridge to life-saving resources for Michigan veterans and their families.
“This is just one of several initiatives the MVAA’s Mental Health and Suicide Prevention team is leading to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health,” said MVAA director Brian L. Love. “Suicide prevention impacts the health of our entire community and that’s why collective action is pivotal to making a difference.”
The Link2Life program offers Michigan veterans immediate and ongoing support, including:
• Peer support
• Education on suicide risk and prevention to families and communities
• VA benefits assistance
• Benefit coordination
• Assistance with emergency needs
• Outreach to identify those at risk of suicide
“Through Link2Life, we are committed to empowering Michigan’s veterans to build a life worth living, one connection at a time,” said Erika Hoover, MVAA Mental Health and Suicide Prevention manager.
The MVAA’s Mental Health and Suicide Prevention unit coordinates the Link2Life program and employs community health technicians to provide direct support to veterans and their families.
“I know exactly what it feels like to feel all alone and when you have a million different things going wrong in your life it can get so overwhelming that you don’t even know where to start which causes even more anxiety causing you to give up before you’ve even tried,” said MVAA community health technician Jennifer LaGow. “I want to be that someone who can take some of the burden off your shoulders, to let know you are not alone and that everyone deserves happiness and peace in their lives."
Named after an Army sniper instructor who tragically died by suicide at the age of 25 on July 21, 2020, the SSG Fox SPGP was created to strengthen mental health and suicide prevention efforts for veterans and their families nationwide. MVAA has been a recipient of SSG Fox SPGP funding since 2023, receiving $750,000 annually to fund these key efforts in Michigan, including the recently created Link2Life program.
Link2Life is open to all veterans from any branch of the United States Uniformed Services, along with families of enrolled participants. To participate, veterans can call the MVAA’s Michigan Veterans Resource Service Center at 1-800-MICH-VET (800-642-4838).
Please note that the Link2Life program is not a substitute for the Veteran Crisis Line. If you or a loved one is in crisis, dial 988 and press 1 to talk to a caring, qualified responder.
Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency - The MVAA is the central coordinating agency, providing support, care, advocacy and service to veterans and their families. As a state agency, MVAA works to identify and break down barriers veterans face in employment, education, health care and quality of life, to make Michigan a great place for veterans and their families to call home. More information about MVAA is available at Michigan.gov/MVAA or by reading our FY24 Annual Report.