新挑戰硬幣旨在防止蒙大拿州退伍軍人自殺

這些硬幣將分發給全州的退伍軍人，以降低該族群的自殺率。

A new set of challenge coins minted by the state of Montana — and designed by a Montana State University student — are intended to aid in preventing suicide among veterans.

蒙大拿州鑄造的一套新挑戰硬幣由蒙大拿州立大學的學生設計，旨在幫助防止退伍軍人自殺。

The coins, which are called 988+1 suicide prevention coins, will be distributed to veterans across the state in an attempt to lower the suicide rate among that population. The coin is meant to be a conversation starter for when a veteran meets a fellow service member in a time of need.

這些硬幣被稱為 988+1 自殺預防硬幣，將分發給全州退伍軍人，以降低該族群的自殺率。當退伍軍人在需要的時候遇到其他服役人員時，這枚硬幣可以作為對話的開始。

If a veteran is in distress, a fellow soldier can show him or her the coin, which includes the state’s suicide help line number: 988. Upon dialing the number, callers can press 1 to connect with someone who is familiar with the challenges veterans face.

如果退伍軍人陷入困境，戰友可以向他或她展示硬幣，其中包括該州的自殺求助熱線號碼：988。

“We think of these challenge coins as a reminder that you are not alone and that there is someone there for you,” said Todd Bucher, who served in the Marines and is the director of MSU Veteran Services. “There will always be somebody out there that will be right by your side no matter what you’re going through.”

「我們認為這些挑戰幣是為了提醒你，你並不孤單，有人在你身邊，」曾在海軍陸戰隊服役、密西根州立大學退伍軍人服務部主任的托德·布赫 (Todd Bucher) 說。 “無論你經歷什麼，總會有人在你身邊。”

Montana has for years been among the states with the highest suicide rates in its veteran community, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The reasons for this are myriad, according to the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, including environmental factors that increase the risk of depression, high firearm ownership rates, social isolation, and a lack of adequate mental health and crisis services.

據美國退伍軍人事務部稱，蒙大拿州多年來一直是退伍軍人社區自殺率最高的州之一。蒙大拿州衛生與公共服務部表示，造成這種情況的原因有很多，包括增加憂鬱風險的環境因素、槍支擁有率高、社會孤立以及缺乏足夠的心理健康和危機服務。

The coins came about as a collaboration between the MSU veteran community and a graphic design class in the School of Art in MSU’s College of Arts and Architecture led by instructor Bruce Barnhart.

這些硬幣是密西根州立大學退伍軍人社區和密西根州立大學藝術與建築學院藝術學院平面設計班之間的合作，由講師布魯斯·巴恩哈特 (Bruce Barnhart) 領導。

In the spring of 2023, students in Barnhart’s class met with veterans to discuss ideas for coin designs related to the issues they face. Barnhart’s students submitted multiple coin designs, and 10 of those ideas were minted in limited numbers. This year, DPHHS selected one design, by former MSU student Jo Brown, to be initially minted into 100 coins.

2023 年春天，巴恩哈特班上的學生與退伍軍人會面，討論與他們面臨的問題相關的硬幣設計想法。巴恩哈特的學生提交了多種硬幣設計，其中 10 種創意被限量鑄造。今年，DPHHS 選擇了密西根州立大學前學生 Jo Brown 的設計，最初鑄造為 100 枚硬幣。

Brown’s design features two clasped hands, which, she said, she included as a symbol of confidence and strength. Above the handshake is the phrase, “I will never leave a fellow veteran.” The reverse side of the coin features an American flag as well as “988+1 Montana Veteran Lifeline.”

布朗的設計以兩隻緊握的手為特色，她說，她將其視為自信和力量的象徵。握手上方寫著這樣一句話：“我永遠不會離開一位退伍軍人。”硬幣的反面印有美國國旗以及「988+1 蒙大拿州退伍軍人生命線」。

“It’s a symbol of one veteran pulling another out from the mud, metaphorically,” said Brown, who is now working in California.

「從比喻意義上講，這是一名退伍軍人將另一名退伍軍人從泥沼中拉出來的象徵，」現在在加州工作的布朗說。

During her research, Brown said she learned of the soldier’s mentality to put the unit or mission before oneself, which sometimes leads to soldiers losing the ability to ask for help.

布朗說，在研究過程中，她了解到士兵將單位或任務置於自己之上的心態，有時會導致士兵失去尋求幫助的能力。

“It was really important for me that the motif of the coin was the moment of help from when that coin is given from one person to the next,” Brown said.

布朗說：“這對我來說非常重要，這枚硬幣的主題是從一個人向另一個人贈送硬幣時提供幫助的那一刻。”

The newly minted coins will be distributed at various veterans’ events across the state. Veterans will be given two coins each – one to keep and one to hand to a fellow veteran in a time of need.

新鑄造的硬幣將在全州的各種退伍軍人活動中分發。每名退伍軍人將獲得兩枚硬幣——一枚保留，一枚在需要時轉交給其他退伍軍人。

“If it makes a connection with one person, that makes it all worth it for me,” Barnhart said.

「如果它與一個人建立了聯繫，那對我來說一切都是值得的，」巴恩哈特說。

At MSU, Counseling and Psychological Services offers a variety of suicide prevention programming on campus, including in-person and online training and counseling services, as well as medical services at Student Health Services.

在密西根州立大學，諮商和心理服務在校園內提供各種自殺預防項目，包括面對面和線上培訓和諮商服務，以及學生健康服務處的醫療服務。

Often, preventing a suicide starts with identifying signs of distress, starting a conversation and directing an individual to available resources, according to CPS, much like the 988+1 coins are designed to do.

根據 CPS 的說法，預防自殺通常始於識別痛苦跡象、開始對話並指導個人使用可用資源，就像 988+1 硬幣的設計目的一樣。