SPEd Talk: Suicide Prevention Education

SPEd Talk: Suicide Prevention Education is an annual event held at the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building at Syracuse University. Organized in partnership with the Syracuse VA Medical Center and the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), the event focuses on addressing veteran suicide through education, storytelling, and community engagement. It aims to raise awareness, reduce stigma around mental health, and encourage help-seeking behavior among veterans.

This year’s keynote will feature 1 Degree—a powerful and engaging suicide prevention training program that combines comedy with life-saving education. Through family-friendly stand-up and honest personal storytelling, four comedians model what supportive conversations around depression look like. The performance includes “The 5 Questions,” a practical tool that attendees can use to start real conversations in their own lives.

1 Degree blends humor and vulnerability to challenge stigma, shift mindsets, and remind us that if you don’t struggle, someone you love does. Their message is simple: laughter heals, conversation saves lives.

In addition, the SPEd Talk features a resource fair to connect attendees to social and mental health support services.

Host or Publisher Institute for Veterans and Military Families