Addressing the 800 lb. gorilla in the room: Veteran's Mental Health
In the last 2 years we, as veteran's advocates, have found that there is an 800 lb. gorilla in the room called "Veteran's Mental Health" that is not being sufficiently addressed by the military or the U.S. Veteran's Affairs.
The Silent Crisis
Too many veterans suffer in silence while mental health issues go unaddressed
The Military has historically been using opioids for our wounded veterans "chronic pain issues" creating massive addiction problems, but after the Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI) of 2018 was implemented, the Military took 41% of the active-duty veterans off opioids and used the "tritate" step down process for 28 days to "cure" the addiction. The problem is the VA says "it takes 1 year to 1 1/2 years to totally detoxify a body" so the veteran is relegated to going to "the streets" for pain issues.
A yearlong study found that more than 78 percent of newly discharged veterans with a Department of War-identified opioid addiction did not have that condition listed in their VA health records.
"Failure to identify and document a patient's known [opioid use history] may decrease the likelihood of future providers using this medically relevant information in clinical decision-making and place patients at risk for adverse outcomes, such as overdose," researchers stated.
Consequently we have an 800 lb. gorilla in the room that is being ignored and we haven't brought the veteran's PTSD into the equation yet. This is another whole can of worms.
These situations are the main reasons our veterans are committing suicide at a rate greater than the rest of our society.
We cannot stand by while those who defended our freedom lose their battle with invisible wounds.
Military-prescribed pain medications leading to addiction with no transition support or documentation.
Combat trauma and service-related mental health conditions that go untreated or undertreated.
Veterans falling through the cracks due to poor documentation and disconnected support systems.
"Work is a great predicter in the reduction of substance abuse"
- U.S. Veteran's AffairsWe are not the only ones who have figured this out, but we are the only non-profit who will be building WORK into the equation as the platform to work from for the healing process.
We currently have over 20 community groups waiting to offer counseling, life skills classes, plus the Department of Labor offering many programs to help the veteran find WORK. These groups are not new to this but there has been no organization or "hub" to key on to offer the services.
When working with the federal government, different departments and agencies operate in isolated "silos" - they don't communicate or coordinate effectively.
WE WILL BE THE "HUB" FOR THE "SILOS" TO CONNECT THROUGH.
Healthcare, benefits, housing vouchers
Job training, employment services
Veteran courts, probation alternatives
Counseling, life skills, support groups
We coordinate all these services through our Veteran's Skilled Trades Center, ensuring every veteran gets comprehensive, integrated support.
We are working with the Seventh Circuit Court system with their "Veteran Court" program and their probation offices State wide thereby getting a chance to be the "Second Chance" offering Hope and a future to these 3rd-strike veterans.
Veterans facing incarceration can enter our Skilled Trades Center program as an alternative, receiving:
This "second chance" offers veterans a real opportunity to:
Professional PTSD counseling and substance abuse treatment integrated into daily work schedules.
Hands-on construction work provides structure, purpose, and the proven #1 therapy for substance abuse.
Life skills classes teaching financial literacy, communication, and other essential civilian skills.
Integration with 20+ partner organizations providing wrap-around services and ongoing support.
DOL job services and contractors ready to hire graduates, ensuring economic self-sufficiency.
Assistance with security deposits, rent, and transitional housing to prevent homelessness.
Every day we delay, more veterans lose their battle with mental health issues, addiction, and hopelessness. The "800 lb. gorilla in the room" won't address itself. We must take action.
Together, we can be the missing piece of the puzzle.