Stop Soldier Suicide Introduces New Mental Health Support Initiative Called ROGER™
Stop Soldier Suicide (SSS), the leading social impact organization working to reduce the military and veteran suicide rate, has announced a new initiative that will bolster its mission of saving veteran and service member lives. In May, SSS introduced the world to ROGER, a modern wellness ally built exclusively for the military community.
“ROGER combines the holistic, trauma-informed, mental wellness care of SSS with a proactive, empowering, and all-inclusive aesthetic,” said Cory Walton, Director of Marketing and the creative force behind ROGER.
The idea for ROGER came about in response to feedback from SSS clients, staff, and donors about the organization’s name as it related to mental health outreach. While the name Stop Soldier Suicide began as (and remains) an inspiring call to action, it nevertheless includes words that could give a person seeking mental health support pause.
For example, SSS found that some struggling would-be clients were hesitant to save our name in their phone since “suicide” can be a difficult term to reckon with, especially if one is in distress. Others hesitated to seek support because, although SSS supports service members and veterans from all military branches, the word “Soldier” creates a perception that the SSS programming is targeted only to the Army.
Working closely with creative agency Circus Maximus, SSS identified the name ROGER as an elegant solution to this problem. ROGER puts a human name to the services SSS offers, thereby allowing clients (and partners) to connect with this best-in-class mental health resource in a more familiar and inviting way. This follows an industry-wide trend in marketing in which companies have seen positive results from the personification of their brands like insurance provider Oscar Health or the multivitamin brand OLLY.
The name ROGER is also unifying to diverse members of the military community who come from all branches of the service—and all walks of life. Best of all, ROGER is a name that veterans and service members have used for decades and is among the most well-known terms in military lingo. ROGER means “I hear you,” “I understand,” “I’m on it.”
“Stop Soldier Suicide has helped more than 3,800 veterans and military service members struggling with suicidal ideation,” said SSS CEO Chris Ford. “Our hope and our expectation is that our clients see ROGER as a more accessible introduction to our services. ROGER is going to help us save more lives faster.”
To learn more, visit GoRoger.org or StopSoldierSuicide.org
About Stop Soldier Suicide
Stop Soldier Suicide is the only national nonprofit organization focused exclusively on reducing the military suicide rate. Founded and led by veterans, its goal since 2020 has been a 40% reduction in military and veteran suicides by 2030. SSS provides consistent, confidential, trauma-informed care for U.S. veterans and service members at highest risk for suicide through its one-of-a-kind suicide intervention model, innovative use of data insights, and a technology-first approach. Its Wellness Coordinators are elite behavioral health professionals, each with an advanced degree in at least one area of mental health, including licensed mental health practitioners.
June 16, 2022
Contact: Hannah Huntt
Vice President, Marketing and Communications
202-524-0991
marketing@stopsoldiersuicide.org