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VA/DOD Suicide Prevention Conference
Frequently Asked Questions for VA Employees
The conference webpage says this is an invitation-only event. How do I obtain an invitation?
If you would like to attend this event but have not been invited, please send a message to VADoDSuicidePreventionConf@va.gov with the subject line: Conference Invitation Request.
In your message, please include the following details for each person you are requesting an invitation for:
- Full name
- Contact information including email and phone number
- The name of your organization
- Purpose of attendance and what you hope to gain from the experience
The Conference Planning Team will review your request and you will be placed on a waitlist that is reviewed regularly.
I am attending the invite-only, pre-conference event(s). Do I need to register separately for pre-conference activities?
Yes. There is separate pre-conference registration that must be completed. Registration for the main conference is through Oxford, and registration for the pre-conference is through TMS. Access the pre-conference registration for VA in TMS.
I tried to access the link to the tax-exempt form for Oregon, but it did not work. Where can I get this information?
The VA Instructions to Travelers (ITT) was distributed on March 14 and contained a link to the tax exemption form for Oregon that no longer works. Download the tax exemption form from Portland’s website. The updated VA ITT is attached with this document.
I have already registered for the event but am now unable to attend. Do I need to cancel my registration?
Yes. To cancel your registration, please notify us at VADoDSuicidePreventionConf@va.gov.
Where can I find information about the agenda and other conference updates?
Please visit the 2024 VA/DOD Suicide Prevention Conference website for the latest updates.
How do I sign up for the breakout sessions I want to attend?
Sessions cannot be signed up for. Space is limited and rooms will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis in order of attendee arrival to the session. You can indicate your interest in specific sessions by using the “bookmark” feature on the Oxford platform.
Our facility or VISN would like to send more than the allotted number of attendees. Is that possible?
The 2024 VA/DOD Suicide Prevention Conference has a non-negotiable maximum capacity. Each facility and Veteran Integrated Service Network (VISN) has been permitted the maximum number of attendees to stay within the authorized event capacity.
There are two options for VISNs to consider as they are looking to provide their official response:
- If there are facilities within the VISN who do not intend to send the full number allocated to them, the VISN can reallocate those spaces to other sites. The VISN can adjust within itself to ensure maximum participation.
- If a VISN wishes to request additional participants above what is outlined in the memo, they should submit an additional spreadsheet with their response. Once all responses have been received and every VISN is accounted for, if there is still space within the aforementioned maximum capacity, these additional requests will be considered.
If a Community Engagement and Partnerships Coordinator (CEPC) or Mental Health Service Chief is unable to attend the conference, can we reassign the invitation to other key staff involved in suicide prevention efforts at our facility? For example, if the CEPC was not able to attend, could the local recovery coordinator attend in their place?
Yes, every facility/VISN is encouraged to maximize their attendance within the authorized number. Additionally, if there are facilities within the VISN who do not intend to send the full number of attendees allocated to them, the VISN can reallocate those spaces to other sites. The VISN is empowered to adjust invitation distribution itself to ensure maximum participation.
We have team members who have had their abstracts accepted to present at the conference. Do they count toward our attendance limits provided in the memorandum?
All employees approved to present their abstract during the conference do not count against authorized VISN attendee totals. However, funding for attendance of these individuals is to be handled in the same manner as attendees, per the memorandum issued on April 16, 2024.
How do I know if my abstract was approved?
Notifications for acceptance of abstract proposals were distributed on Monday, April 8th, 2024, via the VADoDSuicidePreventionConf@va.gov email account. The abstract acceptance notification email serves as approval for VA presenters and co-presenters identified in the proposal to participate in the conference. This approval does not automatically register participants for the conference and registration must still be completed no later than June 14, 2024. If you were not notified of the status of your abstract, or for any other additional questions regarding abstract approval, please reach out to VADoDSuicidePreventionConf@va.gov.