“When I returned from war, I was raging and didn’t know why. I had to go get help.”- Marylyn
“I retired from the military, not in any way upset with the military at all. It was the best part of my life. It wasn’t until I had been out of the military for a number of years that things started to go wrong and I knew I needed help.” – Susan
Watch these and other veterans tell their stories of facing mental health conditions and overcoming them through the Texas Veterans + Family Alliance Grant Program.
June is Texas Veteran Suicide & PTSD Awareness Month*. Many resources are available for those seeking help with and identifying mental health conditions. Listed below, they address the various needs and diversity of people experiencing them.
The Texas Mental Health Program for Veterans is a community-based resource for veterans and their families. Find a Local Mental Health Authority (LMHA) at Local Mental Health.
There are more than 8 million Americans with PTSD. The VA’s National Center for PTSD provides education for veterans, family members, and the provider community.
Smart phone apps are available to help learn and manage the symptoms of PTSD. One app is the PTSD Coach from the VA’s National Center for PTSD.
Mental health assistance as diverse as the people needing them may be found by county at TexVet.
The Texas Military Veteran Peer Network (MVPN) offers free peer-to-peer counseling to veterans, service members and their families. Find a Peer in your area at MVPN.
Veterans Crisis Line is available 24/7 with caring, qualified responders. Call 1 800 -273-8255 and Press 1 or Text 838255; or chat on web www.veteranscrisisline.net/
The Texas Veterans Commission and Texas Health & Human Services Commission work in partnership to administer mental health programs for veterans and their families through local mental health authorities and local behavioral health authorities and peer-to-peer counseling. Learn more about this partnership at HHSC and TVC Veteran Mental Health Services.
*Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Concurrent Resolution (H.C.R.) 148, 86th Legislative Regular Session, 2019 designating June as Veteran Suicide and PTSD Awareness Month for a ten-year period, beginning in 2019.