Northern Michigan University hosted a March 8 visit by the touring group 1° of Separation, which presents a comedy show and suicide prevention program aimed at ending the stigma of mental illness. NMU Veterans Services Coordinator Mike Rutledge is on the board of Upper Peninsula Together With Veterans, the organization that brought the program to several U.P. locations. He also collaborates with other organizations that help area residents who have served in the military—outreach that extends beyond his role assisting student veterans and elevating NMU's position on national Military Friendly Schools rankings.
“I want to help all the veterans in the community, because I'm part of that community, and when you when you work together, you get more things done,” he said. “And when classes are in session at NMU, the largest concentration of veterans in Marquette County is on campus. There are about 300 military-connected students at Northern.”
Rutledge, a U.S. Army retiree, is a member of the American Legion, VFW and the Disabled American Veterans. He is also in the Marquette County Veterans Alliance, a group composed of members representing all of the veteran service organizations that helps to coordinate activities and make sure everyone is notified about them.
At the 1° of Separation show, the Michigan Veterans Affairs agency had service officers onsite in case a veteran attending was motivated to seek help through the VA system. There were also mental health counselors and a chaplain present for those who may have felt the need to talk through what they had been experiencing. Rutledge said the suicide rate for veterans is a little bit higher than the overall population—about 17 per day.
“More than half of the veterans who commit suicide had not reached out to the VA at any point; they had untreated depression and PTSD,” he added. “So the idea is to convince them it's okay to seek help. Some are reluctant because of the toughness and grit required during their military life. But if we can get them enrolled in the VA and connect them with other veterans, maybe we can prevent some of these tragic incidents from happening.
“If the comedy and suicide prevention shows reached one person, it was well worth the investment. The primary target audience was veterans, but we also reached out to first responders, fire, police and people who work in the medical community, who also tend to have a higher suicide rate. The nine shows held in various locations went very well all weekend. I am sure we will work to bring the group back in 18 months or so.”
Over Rutledge's decade of employment with NMU, he has helped veterans on campus and in the community take advantage of all benefits available to them by virtue of their military service. He is also the staff adviser for the Student Veterans of America service organization.
Under his leadership, NMU has made seven consecutive appearances among the Top 10 small public institutions nationwide designated Military Friendly Schools by VIQTORY Media. Last year, NMU achieved the No. 2 ranking. It is also recognized as a Military Friendly Spouse School.
“I am impressed by the collaboration Mike has with the Marquette American Legion and other organizations throughout the state,” said NMU Trustee Greg Seppanen, who is a U.S. Army veteran and a 1979 history and geography alumnus. “We have been one of the leaders for decades of being a veteran friendly university. In my years at NMU as a student, I had many fellow vets with serious PTSD issues that were not recognized at that time, but are obvious to me now. A lot of those folks are still out there in the community trying to cope with those battles, and it does get harder as you age.”
Learn more about NMU Veteran Services here.
